Gary Siegel

NEW YORK - The composite index of Leading Economic Indicators gained 0.4% in May, the Conference Board reported today.

NEW YORK – Calling it “the most important element in fixing our financial system,” Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President and Chief Executive Officer Charles I. Plosser said financial firms must be allowed to fail even if they are big and interconnected.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department today sold $25 billion 56-day cash management bills, dated June 17, due Aug. 12, at a 0.090% high tender rate.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed conditions for New York State manufacturers improved in June, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported yesterday, as the general business conditions index rose to 19.57 from 19.11.

Home builder confidence fell for the first time in three months in June as the impact of the home buyer tax credit waned.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department today auctioned $31 billion of four-week bills at a 0.030% high yield, a price of 99.997667.

NEW YORK - Builders’ confidence in the market for new single-family homes slipped back to February levels in June, as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index - a monthly gauge of builder sentiment – dropped to 17 from May’s 22, the group announced today.

NEW YORK - The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed conditions for New York State manufacturers improved in June, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York today reported, as the general business conditions index climbed to 19.57 in the month from 19.11 in May, the Fed reported.

The Treasury Department yesterday said it will sell $31 billion of four-week discount bills today.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were lower yesterday.

NEW YORK - Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were lower, as the three-months incurred a 0.065% high rate, down from 0.130% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.150% high rate, down from 0.210% the week before.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $25 billion 56-day cash management bills on Wednesday, June 16.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will sell $31 billion of four-week discount bills tomorrow.

Standard & Poor’s has launched a taxable municipal bond index.

The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index exceeded economist expectations in June, rising to 75.5 from a final May reading of 73.6, according to market sources. Economists had predicted an increase to 74.5.

The Federal Reserve should start selling some non-Treasury assets “sooner rather than later” since they wouldn’t disrupt recovering financial markets, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia president Charles Plosser said Friday.

NEW YORK – Weakness in the banking sector is deterring recovery in the labor markets, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Narayana Kocherlakota said today.

NEW YORK - The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index reading was 75.5, compared to the final May 73.6 reading, the 73.3 preliminary May, and the final April 72.2, according to market sources.

NEW YORK – The Federal Reserve should start selling some non-Treasury assets since the financial markets have recovered somewhat and the sales wouldn’t disrupt the markets, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President and Chief Executive Officer Charles I. Plosser said today.

The European Central Bank announced its Governing Council held interest rates at current levels at its latest monetary policy meeting yesterday. The minimum bid rate on variable-rate refinancing operations remained 1.00%, the marginal lending rate stayed at 1.75%, and the deposit rate — the floor for euro money market rates — was left at 0.25%.