Gary Siegel

Initial jobless claims fell 12,000 to 350,000 in the week ended December 22, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index climbed 1.6% in November to a seasonally adjusted level of 93.7, as all four regional sectors improved, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Thursday.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were higher, as the three-months incurred a 0.085% high rate, up from 0.040% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.130% high rate, up from 0.090% the week before.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $40 billion of four-week bills at a 0.045% high yield, a price of 99.996500.

Service sector activity "slowed in December," according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released Wednesday.

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region "advanced for the second straight month" in December, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, as the manufacturing index dipped to 5 from 9 in November.

The Treasury Department said Friday it will sell $40 billion of four-week discount bills Wednesday.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's region "declined further in December, though by smaller amount than in October or November," according to the bank's monthly manufacturing survey, released Friday.

The University of Michigan's final December consumer sentiment index reading was 72.9, compared to the preliminary December 74.5, the final November 82.7, and the preliminary November 84.9, according to market sources.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for November climbed to positive 0.10 from a revised negative 0.64 reading in October, while the three-month moving average (CFNAI-MA3) rose to negative 0.20 from a revised negative 0.59 in October, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Friday.

The Treasury Department Thursday auctioned $14 billion of four-year four-month inflation-indexed notes with a 0.125% coupon, a negative 1.496% high yield, an adjusted price of 109.1835073.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $32 billion 91-day bills and $28 billion 182-day discount bills Wednesday.

The region's manufacturing sector expanded in December, as the general business conditions index soared to positive 8.1 from negative 10.7 in November, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

The composite index of Leading Economic Indicators slid 0.2% in November following a revised 0.3% gain in October, originally reported as a 0.2% increase, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

Initial jobless claims rose a 17,000 to 361,000 in the week ended December 15, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The Treasury Department auctioned $29 billion of seven-year notes, with a 1.125% coupon, a 1.233% high yield, a price of 99.277836.

Inflation expectations for the next 12 months slipped to 1.9% in the Atlanta Federal Reserve survey of business inflation expectations for the month of December from 2.1% in the November survey.

The Treasury Department auctioned $35 billion of five-year notes, with a 3/4% coupon, a 0.769% high yield, a price of 99.906978.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $40 billion of four-week bills at a 0.015% high yield, a price of 99.998833.

Builders' confidence in the market for new single-family homes increased for the eighth straight month as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index rose to 47 in December from a downwardly revised 45 in November.