Eye On Housing
Prices received for four key building materials (prior to sales to consumers)—softwood lumber, OSB, gypsum products, and ready-mix concrete—all fell in October according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. OSB prices declined 0.5% in October, ending a 7-month trend that had made the commodity the most expensive it had been in over… Read More ›
Inflation in prices received for building materials (prior to sales to consumers) was mixed in September according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although their monthly changes were relatively modest, the prices of OSB and ready-mix concrete have been trending upward for quite some time and remain at historically high levels. OSB… Read More ›
The statement released following the September meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) fell in line with market expectations as the committee chose to keep the federal funds rate unchanged. The Committee’s assessment of the economy remained positive, leaving a December rate hike very much in play. In the statement, the Committee continued its upbeat assessment of labor and economic activity…. Read More ›
Contrary to economists’ expectations of a small gain, inflation in prices received by producers (prior to sales to consumers) fell 0.4% in July, nearly erasing June’s 0.5% increase. According to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the decline was a result of nearly identical drops in prices of services and goods of 0.3%… Read More ›
Inflation in prices received by producers (prior to sales to consumers) increased 0.5% in June according to the latest Producer Price Index release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The increase was driven by a 0.4% increase in the price of services, while the final demand index for goods rose 0.8% (the price of services is weighted roughly double the… Read More ›
Once again energy prices, notably gasoline (prices at the pump), are driving headline inflation. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.0% in April influenced heavily by a 153.5% annualized increase in the price of gasoline. Increases in separate indexes for food and core CPI (excluding food and energy) were in line with recent… Read More ›
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for February. The Consumer Price Index declined at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.0%, after a 0.3% increase in January. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the “core” CPI rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.4% in February, slightly down from 3.6% in… Read More ›
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported consumer prices increased in July. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.6%, slower than 3.9% in June. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the “core” CPI rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.6% in July. Energy prices were stabilized and rose at a… Read More ›
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported consumer prices increased broadly in June. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.9%, slower than 5.5% in May. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the “core” CPI rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.2% in June. Large swings in energy prices account for… Read More ›
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) jumped 0.6 percent on a month-to-month basis in August 2012. This ended a four-month streak in which the CPI-U was either unchanged or declined, plus it also marked the largest percentage change in overall consumer price levels since mid-2009. Energy prices accounted for the bulk… Read More ›