Gary Siegel

NEW YORK – “Service sector activity declined in October although the weakness in several indicators was less severe than a month earlier,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released today, “Retail sales contraction continued, nearly matching September's drop. Nevertheless, shopper traffic flattened after falling for four months and big-ticket sales declined more slowly than a month ago. Retail inventories grew for the first time since January of 2010. Revenue weakness at services-providing firms was virtually the same as last month's. However, survey participants' predictions for business prospects during the next six months jumped up in October.”

NEW YORK - The consumer confidence index climbed to 50.2 in October from an upwardly revised 48.6 last month, The Conference Board reported this morning.

Texas factory activity improved in October, according to the monthly business survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and released Monday.

The Chicago Fed national activity index for September declined to negative 0.58 from a revised negative 0.49 reading in August. Meanwhile, the three-month moving average slipped to negative 0.33 in September from August’s revised negative 0.32 reading, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Monday.

Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben S. Bernanke said he is concerned by foreclosure irregularities in the housing market.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department today auctioned $10 billion of five-year inflation-indexed notes with a 0.500% coupon, a negative 0.550% high yield, an adjusted price of 105.5086607.

NEW YORK - Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were mixed, as the three-months incurred a 0.130% high rate, down from 0.135% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.170% high rate, unchanged from 0.170% the week before.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $25 billion 56-day cash management bills on Wednesday, October 27.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said Tuesday it will sell $22 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

NEW YORK - Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, was better in October, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released today.

NEW YORK – Reported foreclosure irregularities concern Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, the Fed chief said this morning.

NEW YORK - The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for September declined to negative 0.58 from a revised negative 0.49 reading in August, originally reported as negative 0.53.

NEW YORK – Hiring should rise in the next six months, according to the results of the most recent National Association for Business Economics survey, released Monday.

Manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region was nearly flat in October, as the general business conditions index rose to a level of 1.0 from a previous reading of negative 0.7, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business.

The composite index of leading economic indicators grew 0.3% in September, the Conference Board reported Thursday.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $10 billion four-year six-month inflation-indexed bonds on Monday, October 25.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $29 billion seven-year notes on Thursday, October 28.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $35 billion five-year notes on Wednesday, Oct. 27 and $35 billion two-year notes on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $29 billion 91-day bills and $28 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

NEW YORK – The region's manufacturing sector was nearly flat in October, as the general business conditions index climbed to positive 1.0 from negative 0.7 in September, this month’s Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Report on Business indicates.