Gary Siegel

Builders' confidence in the market for new single-family homes gained as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index rose to 59 in August from a revised 56 in July, originally reported as 57.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed "conditions for New York manufacturers improved modestly for a third consecutive month," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Thursday as the general business conditions index dipped to 8.24 in August from 9.46 in July.

Repeating his claim that the Federal Open Market Committee needs to see more data before tapering asset purchases, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said the FOMC should have a press conference after each meeting, not just every other meeting.

Any decision on cutting the Fed's asset purchases will be based on economic data, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President and CEO Dennis Lockhart said Tuesday, warning of the "potential for ambiguous or disappointing data."

The Treasury Department Tuesday sold $25 billion 21-day cash management bills, dated Aug. 15, due Sept. 5, at a 0.060% high tender rate.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $45 billion of four-week bills at a 0.055% high yield, a price of 99.995722.

July import prices grew 0.2% and export prices slid 0.1%, the U.S. Labor Department said Tuesday.

The Federal Reserve's asset purchase plan's success in stimulating the economy seems to be tied to Fed assurance that interest rates would remain low, according to an economic letter from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, released Monday.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were mixed, as the three-months incurred a 0.055% high rate, up from 0.040% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.075% high rate, unchanged from 0.075% the week before.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $45 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

The Federal Open Market Committee needs to have more data on labor markets, GDP, inflation and the Fed's balance sheet before agreeing to taper purchases of assets, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said Friday.

New York City business activity expanded in July, as the current business conditions index soared to 67.8 from 47.0 in June, the Institute for Supply Management-New York's Report on Business index, released Friday, indicated.

U.S. inflationary pressures were slightly lower in July, as the U.S. future inflation gauge slipped to 102.9 from a downwardly revised 103.1 in June, originally reported as 103.3, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.

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

The overall economy grew for the fiftieth straight time, while the manufacturing sector expanded for the second consecutive month, the Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday.

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

The Chicago Purchasing Managers' Business Barometer gained to 52.3 in July from 51.6 in June, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Wednesday.

The employment cost index rose 0.5% in the second quarter, after increasing 0.5% during the first quarter, according to a report by the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics released Wednesday.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $45 billion of four-week bills at a 0.030% high yield, a price of 99.997667.

Texas service sector activity expanded faster in July, according to business executives responding to the Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index rose to 12.7 from 6.8.