Gary Siegel

The Federal Open Market Committee raised its fed funds target rate by 25 basis points to between 0.50% and 0.75%, according to a statement released Wednesday afternoon.

Industrial production was down 0.4% in November, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday.

The federal government ran a $136.7 billion deficit in November, the Treasury Department reported Monday.

Consumer expectations on inflation "only shifted minimally since October, while expectations about the labor market became more negative," according to the Survey of Consumer Expectations, released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday.

The University of Michigan's preliminary December consumer sentiment index reading was 98.0, compared to the final November 93.8 and the preliminary November 91.6, according to market sources.

Labor market conditions "increased and momentum accelerated in November," as the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Labor Market Conditions Indicators (LMCI) gained to 0.25 in November from 0.12 in October, according to the Bank.

Manufacturers expect 4.6% growth next year, while non-manufacturers predict 4.1% revenue growth, according to the Institute for Supply Management's semiannual economic forecast, released Thursday.

The European Central Bank announced its Governing Council held interest rates at its latest monetary policy meeting Thursday.

Consumer credit increased by $16.0 billion in October to $3.727 trillion, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday.

Newly issued Treasury securities held in stripped form increased about $4.187 billion in November to a total of $233.825 billion, the Bureau of the Public Debt reported Tuesday.

One rate hike will put the United States near the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis' standard recommended value through 2019, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said Monday.

The Federal Reserve's Labor Market Conditions Index, a compilation of 19 labor market measures, rose to 1.5 in November from 1.4 in October.

The Conference Board's Employment Trends Index (ETI) grew to 129.96 in November from a downwardly revised 128.95 in October, and is up 2.7% from a year ago, the group announced Monday.

The U.S. services sector climbed in November as the non-manufacturing business activity composite index was 57.2 in the month, compared to 54.8 in September, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Institute for Supply Management reported Monday.

Real gross domestic product is expected to grow at a 2.2% pace next year, while inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, is seen growing at a 2% rate, according to participants in the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's Economic Outlook Symposium.

"New York City business activity showed confidence and optimism after an uncertain summer and fall," as the current business conditions index increased to 52.5 in November from 49.2 in October, the Institute for Supply Management-New York's Report on Business index, released Friday, indicated.

U.S. inflationary pressures were up in November, as the U.S. future inflation gauge gained to 113.8 from a downwardly revised 113.4 reading in October, first reported as 113.7, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.

The overall economy grew for the ninetieth straight time, while the manufacturing sector expanded for the third consecutive month, the Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday.

Economic growth remained "moderate" or "modest" in most districts through mid-November, according to the Beige Book, released by the Federal Reserve on Wednesday.

A rate hike is "appropriate" to prolong the economic expansion, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Loretta J. Mester said Wednesday.