Gary Siegel

The consumer confidence index jumped to 57.9 in April from a downwardly revised 52.3 last month, the Conference Board reported yesterday.

The federal budget appears to be on an “unsustainable path” while the the country’s fiscal status “has deteriorated appreciably since the onset of the recession and the financial crisis,” Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke said yesterday.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department today auctioned $44 billion of two-year notes with a 1% coupon at a 1.024% yield, a price of 99.952608.

NEW YORK - The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index jumped 1.3% in March to a seasonally adjusted level of 84.1 after the February report showed a revised 0.1% decrease to 83.1, originally reported as a 0.8% drop to 82.6, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported today.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department today auctioned $15 billion of four-week bills at a 0.130% high yield, a price of 99.989889.

NEW YORK – The federal budget appears to be on an “unsustainable path” while the U.S. fiscal status “has deteriorated appreciably since the onset of the recession and the financial crisis,” Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said today.

NEW YORK – “Fifth District service sector activity improved in April,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released today, “Growth in retail sales picked up while retail inventories continued to decline. Although big-ticket sales slumped, shopper traffic rose this month. Revenue growth also returned at non-retail services firms. Price change in the broad service sector ticked up slightly.”

NEW YORK – “Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region expanded for the third straight month,” according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. “All broad indicators — shipments, new orders and employment — landed in positive territory, with manufacturers noting their first increase in worker numbers since October 2009. Other indicators were also positive. Backlogs increased for the first time since August 2009 and capacity utilization hit an all-time high reading since the inception of the measure. Vendor lead-time grew at a considerably quicker rate — the highest reading since August 2004, indicating slower delivery times, and inventories increased at a somewhat quicker pace.”

NEW YORK - The consumer confidence index jumped to 57.9 in April from a downwardly revised 52.3 last month, The Conference Board reported this morning.

The Treasury Department yesterday auctioned $11 billion of five-year inflation-indexed notes with a 0.50% coupon, a 0.550% high yield, and an adjusted price of 99.767648.

The number of building permits issued in March was revised to show a 6.8% increase to 680,000, down from the originally reported 7.5% jump to 685,000 units, the Commerce Department said yesterday.

More than one in three firms surveyed expect their firms to hire more workers in the next half year, according to the National Association for Business Economics.

Texas factory activity increased for the sixth month in a row in April, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released yesterday.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department today auctioned $11 billion of five-year inflation-indexed notes with a 0.50% coupon, a 0.550% high yield, an adjusted price of 99.767648.

NEW YORK - Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were higher, as the three-months incurred a 0.150% high rate, up from 0.145% the prior week, and the six-months incurred a 0.240% high rate, up from 0.220% the week before.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will sell $15 billion of four-week discount bills tomorrow.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $25 billion 56-day cash management bills on Wednesday, April 28.

NEW YORK - “Texas factory activity increased for the sixth month in a row in April,” according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, released today.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $32 billion seven-year notes on Thursday, April 29.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said it will auction $44 billion two-year notes on Tuesday, April 27 and $42 billion five-year notes on Wednesday, April 28.