Gary Siegel

Builders' confidence in the market for new single-family homes fell as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index slipped to 53 in March from 55 in February.

Industrial production gained 0.1% in February, the Federal Reserve reported Monday.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed "business activity continued to expand at a modest pace for New York manufacturers," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Monday, as the general business conditions index slipped to 6.90 in March from 7.78 in February.

The University of Michigan's preliminary March consumer sentiment index reading was 91.2, compared to the final February 95.4, and the preliminary February 93.6, according to market sources.

Business inventories were unchanged at $1.762 trillion in January, while sales were down 2.0% to $1.303 trillion, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

Labor market conditions continued to improve as the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Labor Market Conditions Indicators (LMCI) narrowed to negative 0.325 in February from negative 0.343 in January, according to the Bank.

Wholesale inventories increased 0.3% in January, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Wholesale sales dropped 3.1%.

Interest rates must be raised before there is full employment and 2% inflation, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President and Chief Executive Officer Loretta J. Mester said Monday, noting she would be "comfortable" if rates rose before June.

Consumers' view of short-term inflation dipped in the past month, but home price and spending growth expectations "fell to their lowest levels since the inception of the survey," according to the Survey of Consumer Expectations, released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday.

The Federal Reserve's Labor Market Conditions Index, a compilation of 19 labor market measures, fell to 4.0 in February from a revised 4.8 in January.

The Conference Board's Employment Trends Index (ETI) gained to 127.76 in February from a downwardly revised 127.62 in January, and is up 6.7% from a year ago, the group announced Monday.

U.S. inflationary pressures were up slightly in February, as the U.S. future inflation gauge grew to 102.0 from a revised January 101.9 reading, first reported as 102.5, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.

Non-farm payrolls rose by 295,000 in February and the unemployment rate fell to 5.5% from 5.7% in in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

Newly issued Treasury securities held in stripped form decreased about $1.891 billion in February to a total of $210.120 billion, the Bureau of the Public Debt reported Thursday.

New orders for manufactured goods declined 0.2% in January, after falling a revised 3.5% in December, first reported as a 3.4% decline, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

Revised fourth quarter nonfarm productivity declined 2.2% and unit labor costs increased 4.1%.

Initial jobless claims gained 7,000 to 320,000 in the week ended Feb. 28, the Labor Department said Thursday.

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

Economic expansion continued across the country from early January through mid-February, according to the Federal Reserve's Beige Book, released Wednesday.

Stressing that no decision has been made, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President and Chief Executive Officer Esther L. George said Wednesday she still supports a mid-year liftoff on the federal funds rate target.