Gary Siegel

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

Newly issued Treasury securities held in stripped form increased about $768 million in August to a total of $223.442 billion, the Bureau of the Public Debt reported Wednesday.

The economy continued to expand modestly, although some districts reported slower growth or no change in activity, according to the latest Beige Book report, released by the Federal Reserve Wednesday.

The Federal Reserve's Labor Market Conditions Index, a compilation of 19 labor market measures, fell to negative 0.7 in August from a revised positive 1.3 in July, first reported as positive 1.0.

The Conference Board's Employment Trends Index (ETI) fell to 128.02 in August from an upwardly revised 128.44 in July, and is up 0.8% from a year ago, the group announced Tuesday.

The U.S. services sector dropped in August as the non-manufacturing business activity composite index was 51.4 in the month, compared to 55.5 in July, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Institute for Supply Management reported Tuesday.

New York City business activity "eased in August after a seven month high in July," although the current business conditions index dropped to 47.5 in August from 60.7 in July, the Institute for Supply Management-New York's Report on Business index, released Friday, indicated.

U.S. inflationary pressures were down in August, as the U.S. future inflation gauge declined to 112.6 from an upwardly revised 113.0 reading in July, first reported as 112.6, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.

The overall economy grew for the eighty-seventh straight time, while the manufacturing sector contracted after five months of expansion, the Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday.

About 4,816,100 online job postings appeared on leading internet job boards in August, an increase of 1,900 from July, the Conference Board reported Wednesday.

Pending home sales increased 1.3% to an index reading of 111.3 in July, after a revised 0.8% decline to 109.9 in June, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers' Business Barometer fell to 51.5 in August from 55.8 in July, "led by a large setback in Order Backlogs and a deceleration in New Orders," the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Wednesday.

The Midwest Economy Index fell to negative 0.14 in July from negative 0.04 in June, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said Wednesday.

Private-sector employment increased by 177,000 in August, on a seasonally adjusted basis, ADP estimated Wednesday.

Texas service sector activity "continued to reflect expansion but at a slower pace in August than in July," according to business executives responding to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index fell to 6.5 from 10.3.

The consumer confidence index increased to 101.1 in August from a revised 96.7 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

Using Congressional Budget Office estimates for gross domestic product suggests that for the next decade the natural rate of interest, also known as r-star, will be around 1%, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco research adviser.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, "activity increased in August," according to the monthly Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released Monday.

The University of Michigan's final August consumer sentiment index reading was 89.8, compared to the preliminary August 90.4 and the final July 90.0, according to market sources.

Economic indicators show the case for raising the federal funds target rate has "strengthened" recently, but there is no preset course for hikes, Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen said Friday.