Gary Siegel

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

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region “remained soft in October,” according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, as the manufacturing index improved to negative 1 in October from negative 5 in September.

The consumer confidence index slid to 97.6 in October from a revised 102.6 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, “increased in October after nine months of flat or declining output,” according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released Monday.

Sales of new single-family homes plunged 11.5% to a 468,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate in September, according to data released by the Commerce Department Monday.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's region “steadied somewhat and was expected to remain largely unchanged heading forward,” according to the bank's monthly manufacturing survey, released Thursday.

The composite index of Leading Economic Indicators was down 0.2% in September following a flat reading in August, first reported as a 0.1% rise, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

Existing home sales grew 4.7% to a seasonally adjusted 5.55 million-unit rate in August from a downwardly revised 5.30 million pace the previous month, the National Association of Realtors announced Thursday.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for September improved to negative 0.37 from a revised negative 0.39 reading in August, while the three-month moving average (CFNAI-MA3) dipped to negative 0.09 from an unrevised positive 0.01 in August, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Thursday.

The region's non-manufacturing sector declined in October, as the general business conditions index fell to 17.5 from 29.3 in September, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

Builders’ confidence in the market for new single-family homes was higher as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index rose to 64 in September from 61 in September.

The University of Michigan's preliminary October consumer sentiment index reading was 92.1, compared to the final September 87.2, and the preliminary September 85.7, according to market sources.

Industrial production declined 0.2% in September, the Federal Reserve reported Friday.

The economy can handle a rate hike and such a move is “appropriate,” Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President and CEO Loretta J. Mester said Thursday.

The federal government ran a $91.1 billion budget surplus in September, the Treasury Department reported Thursday.

The region's manufacturing sector slowed in October, as the general business conditions index narrowed to negative 4.5 from negative 6.0 in September, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed "business activity declined for a third consecutive month for New York manufacturers," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Thursday, as the general business conditions index narrowed to negative 11.36 in October from negative 14.67 in September.

Noting that he still would be comfortable with a rate hike, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker in a televised interview would not predict how his colleagues will vote at the October Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

Labor market “activity remained essentially unchanged, while momentum declined but remained high” as the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Labor Market Conditions Indicators (LMCI) narrowed to negative 0.100 in September from negative 0.105 in August, according to the Bank.

Given current conditions, the Federal Reserve should not raise rates this year, Governor Daniel Tarullo said in a televised interview Tuesday.