Gary Siegel

The Midwest Economy Index narrowed to negative 0.15 in December from a downwardly revised negative 0.20 in November, first reported as negative 0.17, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said Friday.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's region "fell again in January," according to the bank's monthly manufacturing survey, released Thursday.

Pending home sales increased 0.1% to an index reading of 106.8 in December, after a revised 1.1% decrease to 106.7 in November, according to a report released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

U.S. durable goods orders slumped 5.1% in December, while excluding transportation orders were down 1.2%, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

Initial jobless claims fell 16,000 to 278,000 in the week ended Jan. 23, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The federal funds rate target remains between 0.25% and 0.50%, following the two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which ended Wednesday.

Texas service sector activity "continued to reflect expansion in January," according to business executives responding to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index slipped to 10.0 from 15.2.

Service sector activity "strengthened in January," according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released Tuesday.

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region "grew mildly in January," according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, as the manufacturing index dipped to 2 in January from 6 in December.

The consumer confidence index grew to 98.1 in January from a revised 96.3 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

The region's non-manufacturing sector dropped in January, as the general business conditions index plunged to 5.1 from 26.7 in December, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, "fell sharply in January," according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released Monday.

The composite index of Leading Economic Indicators was down 0.2% in December following a 0.5% gain in November, first reported as a 0.4% increase, the Conference Board reported Friday.

Existing home sales soared 14.7% to a seasonally adjusted 5.46 million-unit rate in December from an unrevised 4.76 million pace the previous month, the National Association of Realtors announced Friday.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for December climbed to negative 0.22 from a revised negative 0.36 reading in November, while the three-month moving average (CFNAI-MA3) dipped to negative 0.24 from an upwardly revised negative 0.19 in October, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Friday.

The region's manufacturing sector contracted in January, as the general business conditions index climbed to negative 3.5 from negative 10.2 in December, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

Builders' confidence in the market for new single-family homes was steady as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index remained at 60 in January from a downwardly revised 60 in December.

The New York region's service sector activity "marginally improved," according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's January Business Leaders Survey, released Tuesday.

The University of Michigan's preliminary January consumer sentiment index reading was 93.3, compared to the final December 92.6, and the preliminary December 91.8, according to market sources.

Industrial production declined 0.4% in December, the Federal Reserve reported Friday.