Gary Siegel

Economic activity grew "at a modest to moderate pace" across the nation although the Dallas Federal Reserve District "reported strong economic growth," according to the Fed's Beige Book, released Wednesday.

About 4,827,600 online job postings appeared on leading Internet job boards in May, a decrease of 150,200 from April, the Conference Board reported Wednesday.

The U.S. services sector expanded at a slightly faster pace in May as the non-manufacturing business activity composite index was 53.7 in the month, compared to 53.1 in April, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Institute for Supply Management reported Wednesday.

Non-farm productivity rose 0.5% in the first quarter, while unit labor costs dropped 4.3%, according to final data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Wednesday.

It is "appropriate" for the Fed to cut down on its asset purchases, according to Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President and Chief Executive Officer Esther L. George.

The Treasury Department Wednesday auctioned $35 billion of four-week bills at a 0.040% high yield, a price of 99.996778.

58.3 in April, the Institute for Supply Management-New York's Report on Business index, released Tuesday, indicated.

The Treasury Department Monday sold $30 billion 13-day cash management bills, dated June 4, due June 17, at a 0.050% high tender rate.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were flat, as the three-months incurred a 0.045% high rate, unchanged from 0.045% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.080% high rate, unchanged from 0.080% the week before.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $35 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

The overall economy grew for the forty-eighth straight time, while the manufacturing sector contracted after five months of expansion, the Institute for Supply Management reported Monday.

The economy should perform better this year than last and growth is seen improving next year too, according to participants in the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's 20th annual Automotive Outlook Symposium.

The University of Michigan's final May consumer sentiment index reading was 84.5, compared to the preliminary May 83.7, and the final April 76.4, according to market sources.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers' Business Barometer surged to 58.7 in May from 49.0 in April, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Friday

The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Report on Business dropped to 40.7 in May from 48.4 in April, the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee reported Friday.

The Treasury Department auctioned $29 billion of seven-year notes, with a 1.375% coupon, a 1.496% high yield, a price of 99.198680.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $30 billion 13-day cash management bills on Monday, June 3.

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

Pending home sales gained 0.3% to an index reading of 106.0 in April, after an unrevised 1.5% increase to 105.7 in March, according to a report released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

The Midwest Economy Index slipped to 0.03 in March from a downwardly revised 0.25 in March, first reported as 0.27, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Thursday.