Gary Siegel

The Treasury Department said it will auction $35 billion two-year notes on Monday, Dec. 19, and $35 billion five-year notes on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

The region's manufacturing sector expanded in December at a swifter pace than in November, as the general business conditions index climbed to 10.3 from 3.6 in November, this month’s Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

Industrial production decreased 0.2% in November after an unrevised 0.7% jump in October, while capacity use slid to 77.8% from a revised 78.0% in October, the Federal Reserve reported Thursday.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed “manufacturing activity improved in New York State in December,” the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Thursday as the general business conditions index improved to 9.53 in November from 0.61 in November.

The Treasury Department Wednesday auctioned $13 billion of 29-year, 11-month bonds with a 3 1/8% coupon at a 2.925% high yield, a price of 103.966337.

Chief executives’ outlooks haven’t changed much from the third quarter, with expectations for sales a little higher, employment down a bit, and spending flat, according to Business Roundtable’s fourth-quarter CEO Economic Outlook Survey.

The Treasury Department today auctioned $13 billion of 29-year 11-month bonds with a 3 1/8% coupon at a 2.925% high yield, a price of 103.966337.

CEOs’ outlook hasn’t changed much from the third quarter, with expectations for sales a little higher, employment down a bit, and spending flat, according to Business Roundtable’s fourth quarter CEO Economic Outlook Survey.

The Treasury Department auctioned $24 billion of 9-year 11-month notes with a 2% coupon at a 2.020% high yield, a price of 99.819684.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $25 billion of 364-day bills at a 0.110% high yield, a price of 99.888778.

The Treasury Department today auctioned $35 billion of four-week bills at a zero high yield, a price of par.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were mixed, as the three-months incurred a 0.010% high rate, up from 0.005% from the previous week, and the six-months incurred a 0.045% high rate, down from 0.050%.

The Treasury Department Monday auctioned $32 billion of three-year notes with a 1/4% coupon at a 0.352% yield, a price of 99.695876.

The Treasury Department Monday auctioned $32 billion of three-year notes with a 1/4% coupon at a 0.352% yield, a price of 99.695876.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were mixed, as the three-months incurred a 0.010% high rate, up from 0.005% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.045% high rate, down from 0.050% the week before.

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $35 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

The University of Michigan’s preliminary December consumer sentiment index reading was 67.7, compared to the final November 64.1, the preliminary November 64.2 and the final October 60.9, according to market sources.

The University of Michigan's preliminary December consumer sentiment index reading was 67.7, compared to the final November 64.1, the preliminary November 64.2, and the final October 60.9, according to market sources.

Forecasts for real gross domestic product growth in the last half of 2011 were cut to 2.5% from the 3.2% expected six months ago, while projections for the first half of 2012 were slashed to 2.1% growth from the 3.0% expected six months ago, according to the Livingston Survey, released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Thursday.

The European Central Bank announced that its Governing Council cut interest rates 25 basis points at its latest monetary policy meeting Thursday.