U.S. Factory Orders Report for April, 2007

The U.S. Census Bureau this morning released their report on Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories & Orders -- also known as Factory Orders -- for April, 2007:

Predicted: +0.7%
Actual: +0.3%

The above percentages represent the month-to-month change in orders for both durable and nondurable goods made by from U.S. manufacturers. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full Census Bureau report.

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Construction Spending during April, 2007

Earlier today, the U.S. Census Bureau -- which is part of the U.S. Commerce Department -- released the Construction Spending report for April, 2007:

Predicted: +0.0%
Actual: +0.1%

The above percentages represent the month-to-month change in new public and private construction activity for the United States. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Change from last year: -2.0%

Click here to view the full Census Bureau report.

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Existing Home Sales for April, 2007

The Existing Home Sales report for April, 2007 was released by The National Association of Realtors® this morning:

Predicted: 6,200,000
Actual: 5,990,000
Change from Last Month: -2.6%
Change from Last Year: -10.7%

Median Price for A Preowned, Single-Family
Home In April, 2007: $220,900

Average Price for A Preowned, Single-Family
Home In April, 2007: $268,400

The "actual" figure above represents the preliminary sales count of existing homes, co-ops and condominiums for last month. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

The monthly Existing Home Sales report is released on or around the 25^TH day of each month.

Click here to view the full NAR report.

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New Home Sales for April, 2007

The April, 2007 New Home Sales report was released this morning:

Predicted: 860,000

Actual New Home Sales: 981,000

------------------------------------------------------

Change from Last Month: +16.2%

Change from Last Year: -10.6%

------------------------------------------------------

Median Price for a New Home during April: $229,100

Average Price for a New Home during April: $299,100


Compiled jointly by the U.S. Commerce Department and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the monthly New Home Sales report measures the number of newly-built homes with committed buyers for a given month.

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

The New Home Sales report is watched by economists and investors because it offers insight into the state of the U.S. housing market, and also provides data that can be used to predict sales of large household furniture and appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners and microwave ovens.

Click here to view the full Commerce Department report (PDF).

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Durable Goods Orders Report for April, 2007 Released Today

The Durable Goods Orders report for April, 2007 was released this morning:

Predicted: +1.2%
Actual: +0.6%

The above percentages represent the month-to-month change in orders for durable or hard goods for immediate or future delivery from U.S. manufacturers. Examples of durable goods: cars, microwave ovens, computers -- items that are built to last 3+ years.

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure. The Durable Goods Orders report is produced by the Commerce Department.

Click here to view the full Commerce Department report (PDF).

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Leading Economic Indicators for April, 2007

The Conference Board report on the nation's Leading Economic Indicators for April, 2007 was released this morning:

Actual: -0.5%

The above numbers represent the month-to-month change for the nation's leading economic indicators. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

The Leading Economic Indicators Index is a composite of 10 of the nation's economic data releases that's put together by The Conference Board. Statistically, the components listed below have shown a significant increase or decrease before national economic upturns or downturns, respectively:

1. The Money Supply (M2)
   
   
2. The Standard and Poor's 500 Index
   
   
3. The interest rate spread between the yield on 10-year Treasury Notes and the Fed Funds
   
   
4. Manufacturer's new orders for consumer goods or materials
   
   
5. Manufacturer's new orders for non-defense capital goods
   
   
6. Average weekly claims for unemployment insurance
   
   
7. Average weekly manufacturing hours
   
   
8. The Index of Consumer Expectations
   
   
9. Vendor performance
   
   
10. Building permits for new private housing

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Industrial Production for April, 2007

The Industrial Production numbers for April, 2007 were released by the Federal Reserve this morning:

Industrial Production:
Predicted: +0.2%
Actual: +0.7%

Capacity Utilization Rate:
Predicted: 81.5%
Actual: 81.6%

The above Industrial Production numbers represent the month-to-month change in physical output from mining operations, utility plants and factories for the entire United States.

The Capacity Utilization Rate percentages represent the use of available resources at mining operations, utility plants and factories for the entire United States last month.

The "predicted" figures are what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full Federal Reserve report.

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Housing Starts in April, 2007

The U.S. Commerce Department this morning released the Housing Starts report for April, 2007:

Housing Starts:
Predicted: 1,475,000
Actual: 1,528,000
From Last Month: +2.5%
From One Year Ago: -16.1%

Building Permits:
Actual: 1,429,000
From Last Month: -8.9%
From One Year Ago: -28.1%


The above is a measure of initial construction of single and multi-family residential units in The United States for last month. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

If you're wondering about the demand for new homes in the United States, or about the American construction industry in general, then you should pay attention to the monthly Housing Starts report. The monthly Housing Starts report also offers insight into specific types of consumer spending: when housing starts are up, demand for the stuff that a consumer would purchase for a new home (large appliances, consumer electronics, furniture, etc.) tends to also rise--and vice versa.

Click here to view the full Commerce Department report (PDF).

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Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April, 2007

Earlier this morning, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April, 2007:

Predicted: +0.5%
Actual: +0.4%

Below is the CPI when food and energy are subtracted from the equation:

Predicted: +0.2%
Actual: +0.2%

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

The above numbers represent the seasonally-adjusted, month-to-month change in prices for a specific group of goods and services that consumers buy, and is, therefore, a very important part of the overall inflation picture for the country.

The CPI for April, 2007: 206.686 (the baseline 100 score is pegged to 1982-1984 data. In other words, consumer prices have more than doubled since the early 80's)

General categories that constitute the CPI are:

• Healthcare
• Housing
• Clothing
• Communications
• Education
• Transportation
• Food & Beverages
• Recreation
• Miscellaneous Goods & Services (grooming expenses, etc.)

Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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U.S. Retail & Food Services Sales Report for April, 2007

The Commerce Department this morning released advanced estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services Sales for April, 2007:

Predicted: +0.4%
Actual: -0.2%

Minus Auto Sales
Predicted: +0.4%
Actual : +0.0%


The above percentages represent the month-to-month change in total sales receipts for retailers that sell durable & non-durable goods, and retailers that provide food & beverage services.

Retail & Food Services Sales since April, 2006: +3.2%.

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full report.

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Producer Price Index (PPI) for April, 2007

The Producer Price Index (PPI) for April, 2007 was released this morning:

Predicted: +0.7%
Actual: +0.7%

Below is the PPI when food and energy are subtracted from the equation:

Predicted: +0.2%
Actual: +0.0%

The above numbers represent the month-to-month change in prices for a specific group of goods and capital equipment that producers buy in order to produce finished goods for consumers. The PPI is an important part of the overall inflation picture for the country because when costs go up for producers, producers will often pass those increased costs on to consumers.

The PPI is released by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

The PPI is a family or amalgamation of indexes, including The:

• All Commodities Index
• Crude Energy Materials Index
• Crude Foodstuffs & Feedstuffs Index
• Crude Materials for Further Processing Index
• Finished Goods Index
  
• Finished Consumer Foods Index
• Finished Consumer Goods Index
• Finished Consumer Goods Excluding Foods Index
• Finished Energy Goods Index
• Finished Goods: Capital Equipment Index
• Finished Goods Excluding Foods Index
• Finished Goods Less Energy Index
• Finished Goods Less Food & Energy Index
• Fuels & Related Products & Power Index
• Industrial Commodities Index
• Intermediate Energy Goods Index
• Intermediate Foods & Feeds Index
  
• Intermediate Materials: Supplies & Components Index
  

Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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Treasury Budget for April, 2007

The U.S. Treasury Budget monthly account for April, 2007 was released today:

Predicted: +150,000,000,000
Actual: +$177,700,000,000

The "actual" figure above represents the monthly balance on the U.S. federal government's "books" and is compiled by The Treasury Department. A positive number represents a surplus, while a negative represents a deficit.

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

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U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes for April, 2007

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning released the price indexes for U.S. imports and exports for April, 2007 :

Import Prices
Predicted: +0.9
Actual: +1.3%

Export Prices
Actual: +0.3%

The above percentages represent the month-to-month change in prices for

• Imports: the cost of goods produced in other countries and sold in the U.S.
  
  
• Exports: the cost of goods produced in the U.S. and sold in other countries.
  

Together, these indexes offer insight into the status of inflation in the United States, and for the global economy as well. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

The following is a clip from today's Labor Department report:

"Import Goods

The 2.8 percent increase in import prices over the past two months drove the index to the highest level recorded since petroleum prices peaked in August 2006. This was largely attributable to the price index for petroleum which rose a further 6.5 percent in April after an 8.1 percent gain in March and a 1.7 percent advance in February. Despite the recent increases, petroleum prices were down 1.8 percent over the past year. Nonpetroleum prices also rose in April, advancing 0.2 percent following a 0.3 percent increase in March. The nonpetroleum price index was up 2.9 percent over the past 12 months. Overall import prices rose 1.9 percent for the year ended in April.

The increase last month in nonpetroleum import prices was led by a 0.9 percent advance in the price index for nonpetroleum industrial supplies and materials, which followed a 1.4 percent increase in March. Higher metals prices more than offset falling prices for natural gas and chemicals. Also contributing to the rise in nonpetroleum prices was a 1.4 percent increase in foods, feeds, and beverages prices and a modest 0.1 percent advance in consumer goods prices. The increase in foods, feeds, and beverages prices was largely attributable to a 10.1 percent rise in vegetable prices.

In contrast, capital goods prices decreased for the third consecutive month, falling 0.4 percent in April. The decline was led by a 1.8 percent drop in computer prices, the largest monthly decrease for that index since a 2.2 percent drop in July 1999.

The price index for automotive vehicles was unchanged in April after recording modest 0.1 percent advances in March and February.

Export Goods

Export prices rose 0.3 percent in April following 0.6 percent and 0.8 percent increases in March and February, respectively. A 0.4 percent advance in nonagricultural prices more than offset a downturn in agricultural prices.
Prices for nonagricultural exports rose for the sixth consecutive month and advanced 3.9 percent for the year ended in April. Overall, export prices increased 4.9 percent for the same period.

The increase in nonagricultural prices was led by the continued rise in the price index for nonagricultural industrial supplies and materials, up 1.4 percent in April after advancing 1.8 percent and 2.1 percent in the two previous months. Higher prices for fuels, chemicals, and iron and steel products all contributed to the increase.

Prices for the major finished goods indexes were mixed in April. The price indexes for consumer goods and automotive vehicles increased, rising 0.5 percent and 0.1 percent, respectively. In contrast, capital goods prices declined for the second consecutive month, falling 0.1 percent in April.

Agricultural prices decreased 1.3 percent in April, the largest decline since a 1.4 percent drop in September 2005. Corn prices, which had trended upward for most of 2007, led the downturn in agricultural prices, falling 14.3 percent in April. Despite the decline, corn prices were up 39.5 percent over the past year..."

Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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New Unemployment Insurance Claims for The Week of April 28, 2007

Earlier today, the Labor Department released the New Unemployment Insurance Claims report for the week that ended on April 28, 2007:

Predicted: 320,000
Actual: 305,000

The above figures represent the number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits for the entire United States. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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Challenger Report on Corporate Layoffs for April, 2007

Earlier today, the outplacement company Challenger released their report on corporate layoffs for April, 2007:

U.S. Job Cuts Announced during April, 2007: 70,672

When the corporate layoff numbers are high, consumer spending may decline, since there are less people with steady jobs.

When corporate layoffs are low, this can mean that the job market is relatively tight, which can be a harbinger of wage inflation.

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U.S. Motor Vehicle Sales Report for April, 2007

The Domestic Motor Vehicle Sales report for April, 2007 was released this afternoon:

Predicted: 12,300,000
Actual: 12,400,000

The above figures represent unit sales of American-made cars, minivans, SUV's and light trucks. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

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Redbook Numbers for The Week of April 28, 2007

The Redbook numbers for the week that ended on April 28, 2007 were released this morning:

Redbook Sales Figures: +0.2%

The Redbook measures the weekly sales at chain stores, discount stores, and department stores -- about 9,000 stores in total -- and is therefore an important measure of current consumer spending in the U.S. The above figure represents the year-to-year change in the Redbook sales figures, so sales are up by 0.2% when compared to sales during the corresponding week back in April of 2006.

The weekly Johnson Redbook Index report is produced by Redbook Research.

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Consumer Sentiment for April, 2007

Consumer Sentiment for April, 2007:

Actual: 87.1

The Consumer Sentiment Index is compiled on a monthly basis by the University of Michigan; 500 U.S. households are queried about their own financial circumstances and about the economy in general. 200 questions are asked, e.g. "Do you think that right now is a good time to purchase a major household item, like a new microwave oven, TV set, or a new sofa?"

The Consumer Sentiment Index uses a 1966 baseline, i.e. for 1966, the Consumer Sentiment Index = 100. So any number that is below the 1966 baseline of 100 means that the folks who were polled recently aren't as optimistic about the U.S. economy as the sample that was polled back in 1966.

The Consumer Sentiment Index is similar to the Consumer Confidence Index in that they both measure consumer attitudes and offer insight into consumer spending.

Last month, the Consumer Sentiment Index was 88.4.

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New Unemployment Insurance Claims for The Week of April 21, 2007

Earlier today, the Labor Department released the New Unemployment Insurance Claims report for the week that ended on April 21, 2007:

Predicted: 329,000
Actual: 321,000

The above figures represent the number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits for the entire United States. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for April, 2007

The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for this month (April, 2007) was released by The Conference Board this morning:

Predicted: 105.0
Actual: 104.0

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Every month, The Conference Board sends a questionnaire to 5,000 U.S. households. Survey participants are polled about their feeling regarding the current U.S. economy, the future of the U.S. economy, and about their own fiscal circumstances. On average, 3,500 participants complete and return the 5-question survey.

The baseline "100" score for the CCI is linked to 1985 survey data.

When consumers feel good about the economy, they tend to do more spending, and vice versa.

Based in New York City, The Conference Board is a private, not-for-profit organization with a mission to, "create and disseminate knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society."

The CCI is almost always released on the last Tuesday of the month.

Last month, the CCI was 107.2.

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