Gary Siegel

The region's manufacturing sector contracted in July, as the general business conditions index improved to negative 12.9 from negative 16.6 in June, this month's Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

The composite index of Leading Economic Indicators fell 0.3% in June following a revised 0.4% gain in May, originally reported as a 0.3% increase, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were mixed, as the three-months incurred a 0.095% high rate, up from 0.090% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.135% high rate, down from 0.145% the week before.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $30 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed manufacturing activity "expanded modestly" in New York State, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Monday as the general business conditions index climbed to 7.39 in July from 2.29 in June.

The University of Michigan's preliminary July consumer sentiment index reading was 72.0, compared to the final June 73.2 reading, according to market sources.

The Treasury Department Wednesday auctioned $13 billion of 29-year 10-month bonds with a 3% coupon at a 2.580% high yield, a price of 108.697683.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $15 billion 10-year inflation-protected notes on Thursday, July 19.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $30 billion 91-day bills and $27 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

The Treasury Department auctioned $21 billion of nine-year 10-month notes with a 1.75% coupon at a 1.459% high yield, a price of 102.654933.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $32 billion of three-year notes with a 1/4% coupon at a 0.366% yield, a price of 99.654528.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $30 billion of four-week bills at a 0.070% high yield, a price of 99.994556.

Economic optimism grew slightly, according to the IBD/TIPP index, released Tuesday, which rose to 47.0 in July from 46.7 in June.

Job openings rose 195,000 to 3.642 million in May the Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey indicated.

The Federal Open Market Committee's extension of Operation Twist will have a "relatively modest impact on the economy," and if further Fed moves are needed, it should buy "longer-maturity securities, including agency mortgage-backed securities," San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams said Monday.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department's latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were lower, as the three-months incurred a 0.090% high rate, off from 0.100% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.145% high rate, down from 0.150% the week before.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $30 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

The Conference Board's Employment Trends Index (ETI) crept up 0.29% to 108.34 in June from a downwardly revised 108.23 in May, originally reported as 108.34, and is up 5.6% from a year ago, the group announced Monday.

Newly issued Treasury securities held in stripped form decreased about $3.041 billion in June to a total of $193.356 billion, the Bureau of the Public Debt reported Wednesday.

U.S. inflationary pressures were slightly lower in June, as the U.S. future inflation gauge dropped to 101.2 from an unrevised 102.3 in May, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.