Gary Siegel

The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Report on Business increased to 65.57 in December from 59.62 in November, the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee reported Friday.

The Midwest Economy Index reversed to positive 0.22 from a revised negative 0.11 in October, first reported negative 0.12, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said Friday.

At least two economists have been interviewed for the position of Federal Reserve vice chair, last held by Stanley Fischer, who resigned earlier this year, according to reports.

The Chicago Business Barometer rose to 67.6 in December, its highest since March 2011.

Initial jobless claims remained at 245,000 in the week ended Dec. 23, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Texas service sector activity “continued to increase in December,” according to business executives responding to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index held at 24.4.

The consumer confidence index decreased to 122.1 in December from a revised 128.6 last month, The Conference Board reported Wednesday.

Pending home sales rose 0.2% to an index reading of 109.5 in November, from an unrevised 3.5% gain to 109.3 in October.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were higher on Tuesday.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, “expanded strongly in December.”

Service sector activity saw “continued growth in December.”

Manufacturing growth in the central Atlantic region was “moderate” in December.

Home prices rose 6.2% on an annual basis in October, not seasonally adjusted, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, released Tuesday.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's region "continued at a solid pace, and optimism remained high" in December.

The University of Michigan's final December consumer sentiment index reading was 95.9.

The region's non-manufacturing sector “continued to grow.”

The composite of the Leading Economic Index was up 0.4% in November following an unrevised 1.2% increase in October, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

The region's manufacturing sector expanded in December at a quicker pace than in November.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for November decreased to 0.15 from an upwardly revised 0.76 in October.

Existing home sales grew 5.6% to a seasonally adjusted 5.81 million-unit rate in November.