Gary Siegel

Existing home sales fall 2.8% to a seasonally adjusted 5.49 million-unit rate in December from an upwardly revised 5.65 million sales pace the previous month, the National Association of Realtors announced Tuesday.

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region "strengthened in January, with continued growth in new shipments and the volume of new orders," according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, as the manufacturing index rose to 12 in January from 8 in December.

The region's non-manufacturing sector "expanded at a faster pace in January compared with December," as the general business conditions index soared to 37.7 from 19.5 in December, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business, released Tuesday, indicates.

Toeing the line set forth in the Summary of Economic Projections, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick T. Harker said Friday he expects three rate hikes this year.

The region's manufacturing sector expanded in January, as the general business conditions index rose to 23.6 from a revised 19.7 in December, first reported as 21.5, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

While she isn't able to predict when rates will be raised again or how high they will go, Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet L. Yellen, suggested a "few" increases each year until the fed funds rate target nears 3% by the end of 2019.

Builders' confidence in the market for new single-family homes dipped as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index fell to 67 in January from a downwardly revised 69 in December, first reported as 70.

Industrial production was up 0.8% in December, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday.

The New York region's service sector activity "grew for the first time in several months," according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's January Business Leaders Survey, released Wednesday.

The University of Michigan's preliminary January consumer sentiment index reading was 98.1, compared to the final December 98.2 and the preliminary December 98.0, according to market sources.

With a strong labor market and inflation on its way to 2%, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President and CEO Patrick T. Harker expects three increases in the fed funds rate target this year, he said Thursday.

Labor market conditions "declined modestly and momentum remained high in December," as the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Labor Market Conditions Indicators (LMCI) fell to 0.23 in December from a revised 0.28 in November, first reported as 0.25, according to the Bank.

Consumer credit increased by $24.5 billion in November to $3.750 trillion, the Federal Reserve reported Monday.

Interest rates should increase gradually, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President and CEO Dennis Lockhart said Monday.

Consumer expectations on inflation "rose significantly from November, while medium-term inflation expectations increased slightly," according to the Survey of Consumer Expectations, released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday.

The Conference Board's Employment Trends Index (ETI) fell to 129.96 in November from a downwardly revised 129.93 in November, and is up 2.2% from a year ago, the group announced Monday.

Monetary policy will have to normalize at a faster rate going forward, with rate hikes "still gradual but somewhat more regular," Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President & CEO Eric S. Rosengren said Monday

Newly issued Treasury securities held in stripped form increased about $41 million in December to a total of $233.866 billion, the Bureau of the Public Debt reported Friday.

U.S. inflationary pressures were down slightly in December, as the U.S. future inflation gauge declined to 113.0 from a downwardly revised 113.6 reading in November, first reported as 113.8, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.

The U.S. services sector was steady in December as the non-manufacturing business activity composite index was 57.2 in the month, compared to 57.2 in November, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday.