Gary Siegel

Economic expansion continued and the future outlook was termed "optimistic" in "a number of districts," according to the Beige Book, released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve.

Trends and the expectations for longer-term economic movements provide more insight than recent data when setting monetary policy, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President and Chief Executive Officer Charles I. Plosser said Wednesday.

About 5,253,900 online job postings appeared on leading Internet job boards in November, an increase of 170,200 from October, the Conference Board reported Wednesday.

The U.S. services sector expanded at a faster pace in November as the non-manufacturing business activity composite index was 59.3 in the month, compared to 57.1 in October, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Institute for Supply Management reported Wednesday.

The Midwest Economy Index fell to 0.51 in October from a revised 0.46 in September, first reported as 0.51, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said Wednesday.

Private-sector employment increased by 208,000 in November, on a seasonally adjusted basis, ADP reported Wednesday.

Construction spending gained 1.1% in October, the Commerce Department said Tuesday, and is 3.3% above the October 2013 level.

New York City business activity grew at a faster pace in November, as the current business conditions index surged to 62.4 from 54.8 in October, the Institute for Supply Management-New York's Report on Business index, released Tuesday, indicated.

The overall economy grew for the sixty-sixth straight time, while the manufacturing sector expanded for the eighteenth consecutive month, the Institute for Supply Management reported Monday.

Sales of new single-family homes grew 0.7% to a 458,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate in October, according to data released by the Commerce Department Wednesday.

Pending home sales declined 1.1% to an index reading of 104.1 in October, after a revised 0.6% gain to 105.3 in September, according to a report released Monday by the National Association of Realtors.

The University of Michigan's final November consumer sentiment index reading was 88.8, compared to the preliminary November 89.4, and the final October 86.9, according to market sources.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers' Business Barometer fell to 60.8 in November from 66.2 in October, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Wednesday.

The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Report on Business rose to 70.3 in November from 65.6 in October, the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee reported Wednesday.

Texas service sector activity "improved notably in November," according to business executives responding to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index surged to 25.4 from 14.0.

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

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region "grew modestly" in November, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, as the manufacturing index fell to 4 in November from 20 in October.

The region's non-manufacturing sector declined in November, as the general business conditions index slipped to 41.2 from 50.0 in October, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

The consumer confidence index fell to 88.7 in November from a revised 94.1 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

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