Gary Siegel

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.”

“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 index of overall activity remained at last month's level with all broad indicators — shipments, new orders, and employment — landing in negative territory. Continued softness was also evident in most other indicators. District contacts reported more moderate weakness in backlogs and capacity utilization, but noted that delivery times and raw materials inventories grew at a somewhat quicker pace.”

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

Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were lower Monday, as the three-months incurred a 0.020% high rate, off from 0.030% the previous week, and the six-months incurred a 0.060% high rate, down from 0.065%.

The Chicago Fed national activity index for September narrowed to negative 0.22 from a revised negative 0.59 reading in August, while the three-month moving average improved to negative 0.21 in September from August’s unrevised negative 0.28, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Monday.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were lower, as the three-months incurred a 0.020% high rate, off from 0.030% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.060% high rate, down from 0.065% the week before.

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

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for September narrowed to negative 0.22 from a revised negative 0.59 reading in August, while the three-month moving average (CFNAI-MA3) improved to negative 0.21 in September, from August’s unrevised negative 0.28, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Monday.

Economic data has been better than forecast lately, which is significant since the economy had been performing worse than expected for most of the year and perceptions of weakness often become a self-fulfilling prophecy, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta president Dennis Lockhart said.

The consumer price index rose 0.3%, while the core rate grew 0.1% in September, nearly what economists expected, data released by the Labor Department Wednesday showed.

Economic activity expanded in September at less than stellar rates, while business conditions outlooks were “weaker or less certain,” according to the Federal Reserve Board’s Beige Book report, released Wednesday.

Economic activity expanded in September at less than stellar rates, while business conditions outlooks were “weaker or less certain,” according to the Federal Reserve Board’s Beige Book report, released Wednesday.

Consumer prices rose 0.3%, while the core rate grew 0.1% in September, nearly what economists expected, data released by the Labor Department Wednesday showed.

Economic data has been better than forecast in October, significant, since the economy had been performing worse than expected for most of the year, and these perceptions often become a self-fulfilling prophecy, according to Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis P. Lockhart.

One lesson of the 2008-2009 financial crisis is that protecting financial stability is “is at least as important as” effective monetary policy use “in the pursuit of macroeconomic objectives,” said Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke.

Builders’ confidence in the market for new single-family homes improved as the National Association of Home Builders’ housing market index, a monthly gauge of builder sentiment, increased to 18 in October from 14 in September.