Gary Siegel

NEW YORK – About 4,236,200 online job postings appeared on leading Internet job boards in August, down 57,100 from July, The Conference Board reported today.

NEW YORK - The overall economy grew for the sixteenth straight time after seven months of contraction, while the manufacturing sector expanded for the thirteenth time after eighteenth months of contraction, the Institute for Supply Management reported this morning.

NEW YORK – Mortgage applications rose 2.7% on a seasonally adjusted basis and 2.3% unadjusted, in the week ending August 27, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday, as refinancings were up 2.8%.

The Chicago Purchasing Managers’ Business Barometer fell to 56.7 in August from 62.3 in July, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Tuesday. Economists had expected a 62.3 reading.

Economic indicators point to a slowing recovery and stalling output and employment in the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee’s Aug. 10 meeting.

Consumer confidence rose more than economists expected in August, climbing to 53.5 from 51 in July, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.

NEW YORK – Economic indicators pointed to a slowing recovery, with output and employment stalling, according to the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee’s August 10th meeting, which were released Tuesday, but FOMC members still expect recovery to gain strength next year.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department Tuesday auctioned $34 billion of four-week bills at a 0.160% high yield, a price of 99.987556.

NEW YORK – The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Index dropped to 59 in August from 66 in July, according to the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee.

NEW YORK - The consumer confidence index climbed to 53.5 in August from an upwardly revised 51.0 last month, The Conference Board reported this morning.

NEW YORK - The Chicago Purchasing Managers’ Business Barometer fell to 56.7 in August from 62.3 in July, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Tuesday.

NEW YORK – New York City business activity expanded, but at a much slower pace in August, the Institute for Supply Management-New York’s Report on Business current business conditions index indicated.

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 0.145% high rate, down from 0.155% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.190% high rate, up from 0.185% the week before.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $25 billion 56-day cash management bills on Wednesday, September 1.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $10 billion 9-year, 10-month inflation-protected notes on Thursday, September 2.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $34 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

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

The University of Michigan’s final August consumer sentiment index reading was revised downward to 68.9 from a preliminary 69.6 and a final July mark of 67.8, according to market sources.

Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke said Friday that the central bank realizes further monetary policy accommodation could be needed in the future and is prepared to take “unconventional measures” in response to the deteriorating economic outlook.

NEW YORK – The Federal Reserve Board realizes that further monetary policy accommodation could be needed in the future and the Fed is prepared to take “unconventional measures” if needed because the economic outlook deteriorated “significantly,” Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said Friday.