Gary Siegel

Texas service sector activity “increased in April,” according to business executives responding to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index grew to 10.6 from 6.4.

Service sector activity “activity expanded in April,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released Tuesday.

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region “continued to expand in April,” according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, although the manufacturing index slipped to 14 in April from 22 in March.

The consumer confidence index decreased to 94.2 in April from a revised 96.1 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

The region's non-manufacturing sector slipped in April, as the general business conditions index declined to 13.5 from 13.9 in March, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, “increased for a second month in a row in April,” according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released Monday.

Existing home sales grew 5.1% to a seasonally adjusted 5.33 million-unit rate in March from a revised 7.3% drop to a 5.07 million sales pace, first reported as a 7.1% decrease to a 5.08 million pace the previous month, the National Association of Realtors announced Wednesday.

Market expectations of one 25 basis point increase in the fed funds rate target in each of the next three years does not reflect the fact the economy is “fundamentally sound” and is “inconsistent” with other projections, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President and Chief Executive Officer Eric S. Rosengren said late Monday.

The Federal Open Market Committee will be gradual and cautious in raising the fed funds rate target, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley said Monday.

The New York region's service sector activity "was flat," according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's April Business Leaders Survey, released Monday.

Builders’ confidence in the market for new single-family homes was unchanged as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index remained at 58 in April.

The University of Michigan's preliminary April consumer sentiment index reading was 89.7, compared to the final March 91.0, and the preliminary March 90.0, according to market sources.

Industrial production fell 0.6% in March, the Federal Reserve reported Friday.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed "business activity expanded for New York manufacturers," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Friday, as the general business conditions index improved to 9.56 in April from 0.62 in March.

The federal government ran a $108.0 billion deficit in March the Treasury Department reported Tuesday.

Turning a little to the conservative side, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick T. Harker Tuesday suggested holding off raising the fed funds rate target until inflation increases.

Market participants increasingly see monetary policy as being data dependent, according to an Economic Letter released Monday by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Consumers decreased their expectations for inflation, according to the March Survey of Consumer Expectations, released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday.

While backing a “gradual path of policy normalization,” Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President and Chief Executive Officer Esther L. George, warned of costs if increases are delayed too long.

Consumer credit increased by $17.2 billion in February to $3.568 trillion, the Federal Reserve reported Monday.