Gary Siegel

The University of Michigan’s final October consumer sentiment index reading was 60.9, compared to the preliminary October 57.5, the final September 59.4, and the final August 55.7, according to market sources.

The Employment Cost Index rose 0.3% in the third quarter of 2011 on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Report on Business crept up to 55.5 in October from 55.4 in September, according to the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee.

The University of Michigan's final October consumer sentiment index reading was 60.9, compared to the preliminary October 57.5, the final September 59.4, and the final August 55.7, according to market sources.

The Employment Cost Index rose 0.3% in the third quarter 2011on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Second quarter ECI was unrevised at a 0.7% increase.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s region “edged higher in October, and expectations for future activity rebounded after easing somewhat the past few months,” according to the bank’s monthly manufacturing survey released Thursday.

Pending home sales declined 4.6% to a reading of 84.5 in September from an unrevised 1.2% increase to 88.6 in August, 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 3/4% coupon, a 1.791% high yield, a price of 99.731389.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $29 billion 91-day bills and $27 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s region “edged higher in October, and expectations for future activity rebounded after easing somewhat the past few months,” according to the bank’s monthly manufacturing survey, released Thursday.

Pending home sales declined 4.6% to a reading of 84.5 in September from an unrevised 1.2% increase to 88.6 in August, according to a report released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index was up 0.4% in September to a seasonally adjusted level of 85.2, as two of the four regional sectors showed improvement, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Thursday.

The Treasury Department Wednesday auctioned $35 billion of five-year notes with a 1% coupon, a 1.055% high yield and a price of 99.732813.

The Treasury Department auctioned $35 billion of five-year notes, with a 1% coupon, a 1.055% high yield, a price of 99.732813.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $35 billion of two-year notes with a 1/4% coupon at a 0.281% yield, a price of 99.938217.

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region continued to contract in October, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

The consumer confidence index declined to 39.8 in October from an upwardly revised 46.4 last month, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.

The Treasury Department today auctioned $35 billion of two-year notes with a 1/4% coupon at a 0.281% yield, a price of 99.938217.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $30 billion of four-week bills at a 0.005% high yield, a price of 99.999597.

“Service sector activity remained weak in October,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released Tuesday, “For a second month, revenues dropped at non-retail services providing establishments. Retailers' revenues also fell, albeit more slowly than a month earlier, as big-ticket sales rose for the first time since April 2007 and the summer-long fall-off in shopper traffic nearly halted. In addition, merchants' inventories declined in October. Looking ahead, retailers were pessimistic in their expectations for sales over the next six months, while services providers' optimism ticked up.”