Gary Siegel

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

New York City business activity expanded in February at its quickest pace in 11 months, as the current business conditions index increased to 58.8 from a revised 56.7 in January, the Institute for Supply Management-New York's Report on Business index, released Monday, indicated.

Fed asset purchases have stimulated spending and "eased financial conditions" Federal Reserve Board Vice Chair Janet Yellen said Monday.

The overall economy grew for the forty-fifth straight time, while the manufacturing sector expanded for the third month, the Institute for Supply Management reported Friday.

The University of Michigan's final February consumer sentiment index reading was 77.6, compared to the preliminary February 76.3, the final January 73.8, and the preliminary January 71.3 reading, according to market sources.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $25 billion year bills on March 5.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $35 billion 91-day bills and $30 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's region "contracted further in February, and factories' expectations weakened somewhat," according to the bank's monthly manufacturing survey, released Thursday.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers' Business Barometer rose to 55.6 in February from 55.6 in January, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Thursday.

The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Report on Business climbed to 56.5 in January from 51.3 in January, the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee reported Thursday.

With the housing market seemingly back on track, buying $40 billion of mortgage-backed securities a month risks "overkill," and the Fed should cut back on its purchases, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President and CEO Richard W. Fisher said Wednesday.

A "significant majority" of the Federal Open Market Committee approves the current monetary stance, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke told the House Financial Services Committee in response to a question.

Pending home sales soared 4.5% to an index reading of 105.9 in January, after a revised 1.9% decrease to 101.3 in December, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors.

The Treasury Department auctioned $35 billion of five-year notes, with a 3/4% coupon, a 0.777% high yield, a price of 99.867840.

The Treasury Department Wednesday auctioned $45 billion of four-week bills at a 0.110% high yield, a price of 99.991444.

Texas service sector activity expanded in February, according to business executives responding to the Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index rose to 14.2 from 8.4.

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

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region "rebounded in February after declining in January," according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, as the manufacturing index gained to positive 6 from negative 12 in January.

The consumer confidence index climbed to 69.6 in February from a downwardly revised 58.4 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

The Treasury Department Monday auctioned $35 billion of two-year notes with a 1/4% coupon at a 0.257% yield, a price of 99.986045.