Gary Siegel

Texas service sector activity “activity picked up in March,” according to business executives responding to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index increased to 19.3 from 13.2.

The consumer confidence index decreased to 127.7 in March from a revised 130.0 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

Service sector companies “expanded moderately in March,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released Tuesday.

Manufacturing growth in the central Atlantic region was “expanded at a slower pace in March.”

Home prices rose 6.2% on an annual basis in January, not seasonally adjusted, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, released Tuesday.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, “continued to expand in March, albeit at a markedly slower pace than last month.”

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for February increased to 0.88 from a downwardly revised 0.02 in January.

Respondents to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's monthly manufacturing survey reported high input and selling prices, suggesting growing inflation.

The composite of the Leading Economic Index was up 0.6% in February following a downwardly revised 0.8% increase in January, the Conference Board said Thursday.

Initial jobless claims rose 3,000 to 229,000 in the week ended March 17, the Labor Department said Thursday.

In his first press conference as chair following a Federal Open Market Committee Jerome Powell stressed that “one decision” was made at the meeting: raising rates 25 basis points to a 1.5% to 1.75% target range.

The Federal Open Market Committee raised the federal funds rate target to a 1.50% to 1.75% range, as expected, while the Summary of Economic Projections still calls for three hikes this year.

Existing home sales rose in February as sales gain in the West and South offset decreases in the Northeast and Midwest.

The U.S. current account deficit rose to $128.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017.

The indexes for prices paid and prices received rose in March.

The municipal bond market will focus more on the Summary of Economic Projections and the press conference, with a rate hike assumed.

The University of Michigan's preliminary March consumer sentiment index reading was 102.0, compared to the final February 99.7 and the preliminary February 99.9, according to market sources.

Industrial production grew 1.1% in February, the Federal Reserve reported Friday.

Prices received increased in March, to a level not seen in six years, while wage growth was steady.

Builders’ confidence in the market for new single-family homes remained high in March