Gary Siegel

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

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, continued to expand, but at a slower pace in April, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released Monday.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers’ Business Barometer dropped to 56.2 in April from 62.2 in March, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Monday.

Some domestic banks reported easing their lending standards in the quarter and seeing stronger loan demand, according to the April 2012 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices, released by the Fed Monday.

The Treasury Department announced it expects to borrow $182 billion in the second quarter and $265 billion in the third quarter of 2012, it announced Monday.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were higher, as the three-months incurred a 0.095% high rate, up from 0.080% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.145% high rate, up from 0.130% the week before.

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

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, continued to expand, at a slower pace in April than in March, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released Monday.

About 4,760,500 online job postings appeared on leading Internet job boards in April, an increase of 90,900 from March, the Conference Board reported Monday.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers’ Business Barometer dropped to 56.2 in April from 62.2 in March, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Monday.

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index was steady in March at a seasonally adjusted level of 92.2, as three of the four regional sectors slipped, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Monday.

The Midwest Economy Index improved to 0.82 in March from 0.61 in February, its highest level since March 1995, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, meaning growth was above its historical trend.

The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Report on Business climbed to 52.87 in March from a downwardly revised 51.78 in March, originally reported as 52.78, according to the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee.

The University of Michigan’s final April consumer sentiment index reading was 76.4, compared to the preliminary April 75.8, the final March 76.2 and the preliminary March 74.3, according to market sources.

The University of Michigan's final April consumer sentiment index reading was 76.4, compared to preliminary April 75.8, the final March 76.2, and the preliminary March 74.3, according to market sources.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s region “eased further in April, but activity remained expansionary and well above year-ago levels,” according to the bank’s monthly manufacturing survey, released Thursday.

The Chicago Fed national activity index for March fell to negative 0.29 from a revised positive 0.07 reading in February, while the three-month moving average, or CFNAI-MA3, declined to positive 0.05 in March from a revised positive 0.37 in February, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Thursday.

Pending home sales climbed 4.1% to an index reading of 101.4 in March after a revised 0.4% increase to 97.4 in February, according to a report released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

The Treasury Department auctioned $29 billion of seven-year notes, with a 1 1/4% coupon, a 1.347% high yield, a price of 99.354100.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $30 billion 91-day bills and $28 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.