Gary Siegel

The composite index of leading economic indicators grew 0.5% in July, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

The Treasury Department today auctioned $12 billion of four-year eight-month inflation-indexed notes with a 0.125% coupon, a negative 0.825% high yield, an adjusted price of 106.852530.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $25 billion year bills on Tuesday, August 23.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $29 billion seven-year notes on Thursday, August 25.

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

The Treasury Department said it will auction $35 billion two-year notes on Tuesday, August 23, and $35 billion five-year notes on Wednesday, August 24.

The region's manufacturing sector “dipped significantly” in August, as the general business conditions index slumped to negative 30.7 from positive 3.2 in July, this month’s Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.

Existing home sales fell 3.5% in July to a seasonally-adjusted 4.67 million, the lowest level since November, the National Association of Realtors reported Thursday.

The composite index of Leading Economic Indicators grew 0.5% in July, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

Calling the Federal Open Market Committee’s decision “inappropriate policy at an inappropriate time,” and its statement on the economy “excessively negative,” Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia president Charles Plosser said he would have liked to wait until September and examine more data before making such a move.

The economy’s ills are not the result of a lack of liquidity or the need to ease monetary policy, and that’s the reason Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas president Richard Fisher gave for casting a dissenting vote at the recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

The economy’s ills are not the result of lack of liquidity or the need to ease monetary policy, and that’s the reason Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President and CEO Richard W. Fisher gave for casting a dissenting vote at the recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

The Treasury Department Wednesday sold $20 billion 12-day cash management bills, dated Aug. 19, due Aug. 31, at a 0.015% high tender rate.

Calling the Federal Open Market Committee’s decision “inappropriate policy at an inappropriate time," and its statement on the economy “excessively negative,” Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Charles I. Plosser said he would have liked to wait until September and watch data before making such a decision.

The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $35 billion of four-week bills at a 0.010% high yield, a price of 99.999222.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $20 billion 12-day cash management bills on Wednesday, August 17.

Builders' confidence in the market for new single-family homes held at its low level as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index — a monthly gauge of builder sentiment — remained at 15 in August.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed "conditions for New York manufacturers continued to worsen," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Monday, as the general business conditions index declined to negative 7.72 in August from negative 3.76 in July.

Though he is "cautious" about the need for more monetary action since "we do not yet have enough information to conclude the economy won't resume a healthier pace of growth," Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta president Dennis Lockhart Monday said the Fed has the tools, if needed, to ease policy.

Banks ease lending standards and most terms on loans, excluding those backed by real estate, according to the July 2011 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending, released by the Fed Monday.