Gary Siegel

The Chicago Fed national activity index for December slipped to negative 0.61, down from a revised negative 0.39 reading in November.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department auctioned $32 billion of seven-year notes, with a 3 1/8% coupon, a 3.126% high yield, a price of 99.987385.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department said today it will auction $23 billion 91-day bills and $26 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

NEW YORK - Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s region “strengthened in January, with production returning nearly back to year-ago levels,” according to the bank’s monthly manufacturing survey, released today.

NEW YORK - The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for December slipped to negative 0.61 from a revised negative 0.39 reading in November, originally reported as negative 0.32.

The Chicago Fed Midwest manufacturing index dipped 0.3% in December to a seasonally adjusted level of 84.1, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported yesterday

The Federal Open Market Committee announced it did not change rates at its two-day meeting, which ended yesterday, and maintained that conditions “are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period.”

NEW YORK – The Federal Open Market Committee announced it did not change rates at its two-day meeting, which ended today, and maintained that conditions “are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period.”

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department auctioned $42 billion of five-year notes, with a 2 1/4% coupon, a 2.370% high yield, a price of 99.437540.

NEW YORK - The Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index dipped 0.3% in December to a seasonally adjusted level of 84.1 after the November report showed a revised 1.0% increase to 84.4, originally reported as a 1.2% rise to 84.2, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported today.

NEW YORK - The Institute for Supply Management today revised the seasonal adjustment on its indexes, changing the December manufacturing report index to 54.9 from the originally reported 55.9.

The Treasury Department yesterday auctioned $44 billion of two-year notes with a 7/8% coupon at a 0.880% yield, a price of 99.990112.

“The overall service sector weakened in January, damped by softness at services providers,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey released yesterday.

“Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region contracted at a less pronounced rate in January,” according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

The consumer confidence index climbed to 55.9 in January from an upwardly revised 53.6 last month, the Conference Board reported yesterday.

NEW YORK - The Treasury Department today auctioned $10 billion of four-week bills at a zero high yield, a price of par.

NEW YORK – “The overall service sector weakened in January, damped by softness at services providers,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released today, “Retail sales were nearly flat for the month, although big-ticket sales remained in decline. For the first time since December 2007, shopper traffic rose. Merchants' inventories also increased slightly in January. In contrast to the strengthening at retail establishments, however, revenues at services firms fell this month. Even so, survey respondents overall were upbeat about business prospects for the six months ahead.”

NEW YORK – “Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region contracted at a less pronounced rate in January,” according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. “The index of overall activity edged up a bit as growth in new orders turned slightly positive. Growth in shipments contracted at a somewhat slower pace, while employment contracted at a slightly quicker rate. Other indicators were also mixed. The pace of decreasing backlogs and capacity utilization were on par with December, while vendor delivery times increased. In addition, manufacturers reported slightly slower growth in inventories.”

NEW YORK - The consumer confidence index climbed to 55.9 in January from an upwardly revised 53.6 last month, The Conference Board reported this morning.

Tender rates for the Treasury Department’s latest 91-day and 182-day discount bills were lower yesterday, as the three-months incurred a 0.055% high rate, down from 0.060% last week, and the six-months incurred a 0.135% high rate, down from 0.145%.