Gary Siegel

The consumer confidence index surged to 70.3 in September from a downwardly revised 68.4 last month, The Conference Board reported Thursday.

Non-farm productivity grew at a 1.9 percent annual rate during the third quarter of 2012, while unit labor costs slid 0.1%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday.

Initial jobless claims, seasonally adjusted, slid 9,000 to 363,000 in the week ended October 27, from an upwardly revised 372,000 the week before.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers’ Business Barometer rose to 49.9 in October from 49.7 in September, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Wednesday.

The Treasury announced it will sell $16 billion of 30-year bonds on Nov. 8, $24 billion 10-year notes on Nov. 7 and $32 billion three-year notes on November 6 in its quarterly refunding.

The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Report on Business dropped to 43.31 in September from 47.14 in September, the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee reported Wednesday.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were higher, as the three-months incurred a 0.125% high rate, up from 0.100% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.160% high rate, up from 0.150% the week before.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, rose in October at a slower rate than in September, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released Monday.

The Treasury Department Wednesday auctioned $25 billion of four-week bills at a 0.130% high yield, a price of 99.989889.

Personal income grew $48.1 billion, or 0.4%, while spending increased 0.8%, or $87.9 billion, the Commerce Department reported Monday.

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index fell 0.4% in September to a seasonally adjusted level of 93.4, as three of the four regional sectors slid, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Monday.

The Midwest Economy Index declined to negative 0.51 in September from a downwardly revised negative 0.39 in August, its lowest level since November 2009, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

The University of Michigan's final October consumer sentiment index reading was 82.6, compared to the preliminary October 83.1, the final September 78.3, and the preliminary September 79.2, according to market sources.

The Treasury Department auctioned $29 billion of seven-year notes, with a 1.25% coupon, a 1.267% high yield, a price of 99.886468.

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

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's region "declined slightly in October, and producers' expectations for future activity fell considerably but remained slightly positive," according to the bank's monthly manufacturing survey, released Thursday.

Pending home sales grew 0.3% to an index reading of 99.5 in September after an unrevised 2.6% decrease to 99.2 in August, according to a report released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for September climbed to zero from a revised negative 1.17 reading in August, while the three-month moving average rose to negative 0.53 from a revised negative 0.37 in August, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Thursday.

The Treasury Department auctioned $35 billion of five-year notes, with a 3/4% coupon, a 0.774% high yield, a price of 99.882515.

The Treasury Department Wednesday auctioned $40 billion of four-week bills at a 0.125% high yield, a price of 99.989931.