Personal spending and overall economic activity were resilient in October. Here are the five things we learned from U.S. economic data released during the week ending November 30.
Consumers continued spending in October. The Census Bureau reports that real personal consumption expenditures (PCE) grew 0.4 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis during the month, up from a 0.1 percent gain in September. Spending on goods advanced 0.3 percent, with gains for durable and nondurable goods of 0.4 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively. Spending on services expanded 0.5 percent during October. Without adjustments for inflation, PCE rose 0.6 percent, funded by 0.5 percent growth in both nominal personal income and nominal disposable income. With inflation adjustments, real disposable income increased 0.3 percent. Over the past year, real PCE has grown 2.9 percent, funded by a 2.8 percent rise in real disposable income. October’s savings rate of +6.2 percent was 1/10th of a percentage point below that of the prior month.
The second estimate of Q3 GDP growth matched that of the first. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 3.5 percent, matching the prior month’s published estimate of economic growth. This report reflects larger than previously believed levels of nonresidential fixed investment and private inventory accumulation counterbalanced by lower levels of consumer spending and exports. The contributors to Q3 GDP growth were, in declining order, consumption, private inventory accumulation, government expenditures, and nonresidential fixed investment. Drags on Q3 economic growth were imports, exports, and residential fixed investment. This report also features the first estimate of Q3 corporate profits, which increased 3.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of $2.318 trillion (+10.3 percent from a year earlier).
Economic growth picked up slightly in October. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI), a weighted average of 85 economic indicators indexed such that a reading of 0.00 indicates economic growth at the historical average, grew by ten-basis points during the month to a seasonally adjusted +0.24. Fifty of the 85 indicators made positive contributions to the CFNAI, with 51 indicators gaining from their September readings. Among the four major categories of indicators, only those tied to employment made a larger positive contribution to the headline index (rising from a +0.05 to +0.19 contribution). Slumping slightly during the month were indicators linked to production (from a +0.09 to +0.05 ) and personal consumption/housing (from -0.04 to -0.05). Indicators tied to sales/orders/inventories made the same +0.04 contribution that they had made in September.
New home sales sank in October. The Census Bureau places new home sales at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 544,000 units, down 8.9 percent for the month, 12.0 percent under the year-ago pace, and its worst month since March 2016. Sales fell in all four Census regions, with drops of 22.1 percent in the Midwest, 18.5 percent in the Northeast, 7.7 percent in the South, and 3.2 percent in the West. Further, only the West did not have a negative double-digit percentage 12-month comparable, albeit with a modest 1.3 percent gain. Inventories of unsold new homes grew 4.3 percent to 336,000 units (+17.5 percent versus October 2017), the equivalent to a 7.4 month supply (the most since February 2011).
Contract signing activity for home purchases fell in October. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) from the National Association of Realtors lost 2.7 points during the month to a seasonally adjusted 102.1 (2001=100). The measure fell in three of four Census regions: West (-8.9 percent), Midwest (-1.8 percent), and South (-1.1 percent). Contract signing activity edged up 0.7 percent in the Northeast. The PHSI has fallen 6.7 percent over the past year (this was the 10th consecutive month with a negative 12-month comparable), with declines in all four Census regions: West (-15.3 percent), Midwest (-4.9 percent), South (-4.6 percent), and Northeast (-2.9 percent).
Other U.S. economic data released over the past week:
– Jobless Claims (week ending November 24, 2018, First-Time Claims, seasonally adjusted): 234,000 (+10,000 vs. previous week; -4,000 vs. the same week a year earlier). 4-week moving average: 223,250 (-7.5% vs. the same week a year earlier).
– Agricultural Prices (October 2018, Prices Received by Farmers): -3.5% vs. September 2018, -3.0% vs. October 2017.
– FHFA House Price Index (September 2018, Purchase-Only Index, seasonally adjusted): +0.2% vs. August 2018, +6.0% vs. September 2017.
– Case Shiller Home Price Index (September 2018, 20-City Index, seasonally adjusted): +0.3% vs. August 2018, +5.1% vs. September 2017.
– FOMC Minutes
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What We Learned About the U.S. Economy Last Week 