Gary Siegel

Texas service sector activity continued to expand faster in August, according to business executives responding to the Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index rose to 13.6 from 12.7.

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

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region "strengthened in August," according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, as the manufacturing index surged to positive 14 from negative 11 in July.

The consumer confidence index increased to 81.5 in August from a revised 81.0 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index decreased 0.1% in July to a seasonally adjusted level of 95.8, as two of the four regional sectors declined, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Tuesday.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 92-day and 182-day discount bills were lower, as the three-months incurred a 0.040% high rate, down from 0.050% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.065% high rate, off from 0.075% the week before.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $25 billion 14-day cash management bills on Tuesday, August 27.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $50 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, "increased but at a slower pace in August," according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released Monday.

The Treasury Department Thursday auctioned $16 billion of four-year eight-month inflation-indexed notes with a 0.125% coupon, a negative 1.127% high yield, an adjusted price of 102.1791460.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $30 billion 92-day bills and $25 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $29 billion seven-year notes on Thursday, August 29.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's region " improved further, and producers' expectations also edged higher after easing last month," according to the bank's monthly manufacturing survey, released Thursday.

The composite index of Leading Economic Indicators was up 0.6% in July following an unrevised flat reading in June, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

The expectations for U.S. economic growth over the next four years weakened in the past three months, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's survey of professional forecasters.

The University of Michigan's preliminary August consumer sentiment index reading was 80.0, compared to the final July 85.1, the preliminary July 83.9, and the final June 84.1, according to market sources.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $16 billion four-year eight-month inflation-indexed bonds on Thursday, August 22.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $25 billion year bills on August 20.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $30 billion 91-day bills and $25 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

The region's manufacturing sector expanded at a slower pace in August, as the general business conditions index slipped to 9.3 from 19.8 in July, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.