Housing starts decreased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.155 million in July, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The decline was 4.8% below the revised June rate of 1.213 million and is 5.6% below the July 2016 rate. Housing activity decreased in three of the four regions with only the South showing growth, increasing 0.6%. The Northeast ...

Outstanding household debt increased by 0.9 percent in the second quarter, rising by $114 billion to total $12.84 trillion, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said today.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index rose to 68 in August, a four point increase from June’s reading. “Our members are encouraged by rising demand in the new-home market,” said NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald, a home builder and developer from Kerrville, Texas. “This is due to ongoing job and economic growth, attractive mortgage rates, and growing ...

There were $478.9 billion in retail and food service sales in July, up 0.6% from the previous month and 4.2% from July 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. July’s retail sales were the largest gain in seven months. June’s number was upwardly revised to reflect 0.3% growth. Core retail sales – excluding automobiles and parts – grew 0.5%. Year-over-year ...

The federal regulatory agencies today issued joint guidance on the regulatory capital treatment of certain centrally cleared derivative contracts in light of recent changes to the rulebooks of certain central counterparties.

As the Trump administration considers strategies for modernizing U.S. trade policy, BAFT -- ABA’s global transaction banking subsidiary -- wrote to policymakers outlining several priorities to promote free and fair trade and increase economic growth and job creation.

The Consumer Price Index grew 0.1% in July on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the last 12 months, the all-items index rose 1.7%. Prices for all items less food and energy, the “core CPI,” increased 0.1% in July, the fourth month in a row it increased that amount. The index rose 1.7% for ...

Producer prices fell 0.1% in July, seasonally adjusted, after increasing 0.1% in June, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Producer prices rose 1.9% for the twelve months ended July 2017. The index for final demand goods decreased 0.1% in July after growing 0.1% in the previous month. The index for final demand energy fell 0.3%, the third consecutive ...

Startup firms -- those between zero and five years old that have more than one and fewer than 500 employees -- face greater financing challenges than more mature businesses, according to a survey released today by the Federal Reserve.