Existing-home sales decreased 1.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.52 million in June, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Despite the decline, sales are 0.7% above a year ago.“Closings were down in most of the country last month because interested buyers are being tripped up by supply that remains stuck at a meager level and price ...

Americans overwhelmingly believe that our economy needs banks of all sizes, and a majority is concerned about the falling number of banks, according to a recent survey conducted for ABA by polling company Morning Consult.

Housing starts increased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.215 million in June, 8.3% above the revised May rate of 1.122 million and 2.1% above the June 2016 rate. Housing activity increased 1.6% in the West and jumped 83.7% in the Northeast. The Midwest’s housing activity grew 22.0%, while the South’s decreased 3.8%. New building permits increased during the ...

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index slowed to 64 in July, a two point decrease from July’s downwardly revised reading of 66. “Our members are telling us they are growing increasingly concerned over rising material prices, particularly lumber,” said NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald, a home builder and developer from Kerrville, Texas. “This is hurting housing affordability even ...

Individuals who have applied for credit reported higher rejection rates in June than they reported in February, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's latest Credit Access Survey released today, which gauges consumers' experiences and expectations regarding credit over the previous year.

Industrial production grew 0.4% in June after an upwardly revised 0.1% May increase, according to the Federal Reserve. May’s jump was the fifth consecutive month of growth Manufacturing output grew 0.2% in June after a 0.4% decline in May. Production of durable goods and nondurables both edged up 0.5% during the month. Capacity utilization for manufacturing increased by 0.1 percentage ...

There were $473.5 billion in retail and food service sales in June, down 0.2% from the previous month and up 2.8% from June 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Core retail sales – excluding automobiles and parts – also fell 0.2%. Year-over-year core sales increased 2.4%. Retail trade sales decreased 0.1% from May and are up 3.0% from last ...

The Consumer Price Index remained flat in June on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index rose 1.6%. Prices for all items less food and energy, the “core CPI,” increased 0.1% in June, the same as in May. The index rose 1.7% for the 12 months ending in ...

The Engage China coalition of 12 financial trade associations, including ABA and BAFT -- ABA’s global transaction banking subsidiary -- today called on the Trump administration to continue working to create a level playing field and increase market access for financial services firms seeking to do business in China.

The share of current and performing first-lien mortgages rose to 95.6 percent for the first quarter, up from 94.9 percent a year earlier, according to the Mortgage Metrics Report released today by the OCC.