Replies to post #133325 on Your Economy (No Politics) (YE1)

[basserdan]

7:00a MBA Mortgage Applications
Composite Index - W/W 2.1% actual vs -0.9% prior
Purchase Index - W/W 1.0% actual vs -3.0% prior
Refinance Index - W/W 3.0% actual vs 0.1% prior

Definition
The Mortgage Bankers' Association compiles various mortgage loan indexes. The purchase applications index measures applications at mortgage lenders. This is a leading indicator for single-family home sales and housing construction.


8:30a Consumer Price Index
CPI - M/M 0.8% actual vs 0.6% prior month
CPI - Y/Y 4.2% actual vs 2.6% prior year
Ex-Food & Energy- M/M 0.9% actual vs 0.3% prior month
Ex-Food & Energy- Y/Y 3.0% actual vs 1.6% prior year

Consensus Outlook
Consumer prices in March, headlined by a 0.3 percent monthly rise for the core, exceeded expectations. Econoday's consensus estimates for April are monthly increases of 0.2 percent overall and 0.3 percent for the core. Annual estimates are a comparison skewed 3.6 percent overall and 2.3 percent core.

Definition
The Consumer Price Index is a measure of the change in the average price level of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by consumers. Monthly changes in the CPI represent the rate of inflation for the consumer. Annual inflation is also closely watched.
The consumer price index is available nationally by expenditure category and by commodity and service group for all urban consumers (CPI-U) and wage earners (CPI-W). All urban consumers are a more inclusive group, representing about 87 percent of the population. The CPI-U is the more widely quoted of the two, although cost-of-living contracts for unions and Social Security benefits are usually tied to the CPI-W, because it has a longer history. Monthly variations between the two are slight.
The CPI is also available by size of city, by region of the country, for cross-classifications of regions and population-size classes, and for many metropolitan areas. The regional and city CPIs are often used in local contracts.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also produces a chain-weighted index called the Chained CPI. This measures a variable basket of goods and services whereas the regular CPI-U and CPI-W measure a fixed basket of goods and services. The Chained CPI is similar to the personal consumption expenditure price index that is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve Board.

[basserdan]

10:30a EIA Petroleum Inventories
Crude Oil Inventories - W/W -0.4M barrels actual vs -8.0M barrels prior
Gasoline Inventories - W/W 0.4M barrels actual vs 0.7M barrels prior
Distillate Inventories - W/W -1.7M barrels actual vs -2.9M barrels prior
Definition
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides weekly information on petroleum inventories in the U.S., whether produced here or abroad. The level of inventories helps determine prices for petroleum products.


10:45a Atlanta Fed's Business Inflation Expectations
Year over Year 2.8% actual vs 2.6% (rev) prior
Definition
The Atlanta Fed's Business Inflation Expectations survey provides a monthly measure of year-ahead inflation expectations and inflation uncertainty from the perspective of firms. The survey also provides a monthly gauge of firms' current sales, profit margins, and unit cost changes.