Some more data released today … A house price index up sharply, another regional manufacturing survey indicating weakness, and the overall economy continue to expand … a familiar story …
From the FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.7 Percent in February
U.S. house prices rose 0.7 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from January to February, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s monthly House Price Index (HPI). For the 12 months ending in February, U.S. house prices rose 7.1 percent.
From the Richmond Fed: Manufacturing Activity Pulled Back in April; Expectations Waned
In April, the seasonally adjusted composite index of manufacturing activity — our broadest measure of manufacturing — lost nine points, settling at −6 from March’s reading of 3. Among the index’s components, shipments fell seventeen points to −9, the gauge for new orders moved down four points to end at−8, and the jobs index subtracted six points to end at 3.
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Hiring activity at Fifth District plants was mixed in April. The manufacturing employment index moved down six points to 3 and the average workweek indicator lost thirteen points to end at −3. In contrast, the wage index gained eight points to finish at 12.
And state coincident indexes from the Philly fed:
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia has released the coincident indexes for the 50 states for March 2013. In the past month, the indexes increased in 47 states and remained stable in three (New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming), for a one-month diffusion index of 94. Over the past three months, the indexes increased in 47 states, decreased in one (Illinois), and remained stable in two (Hawaii and New Mexico), for a three-month diffusion index of 92.
Wednesday economic releases:
• At 7:00 AM ET, The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) will release the results for the mortgage purchase applications index.
• At 8:30 AM, Durable Goods Orders for March from the Census Bureau. The consensus is for a 2.8% decrease in durable goods orders.
• During the day: The AIA’s Architecture Billings Index for March (a leading indicator for commercial real estate).