Economic indicators

Texas service sector activity “continued to reflect expansion in February,” according to business executives responding to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index increased to 13.2 from 12.8.

The consumer confidence index increased to 130.8 in February from a revised 124.3 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

Service sector companies “saw strong growth in February,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond service-sector activity survey, released Tuesday.

Manufacturing growth in the central Atlantic region was “robust” in February, according to the monthly business activity survey conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, as the manufacturing index soared to 28 from 14.

The value of U.S. durable goods new orders fell 3.7% in January, falling more than the 2.5% decrease expected by analysts in an MNI survey.

Texas factory activity, as measured by the production index, “expanded at a faster pace in February.”

U.S. sales of new homes unexpectedly fell in January to the lowest level since August as borrowing costs rose and winter weather depressed demand.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for January decreased to 0.12 from a downwardly revised 0.14 in December.

The island's future will depend on external aid, the amount of emigration, and internal reforms, economist Jason Bram found.

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

The composite of the Leading Economic Index was up 1.0% in January following an unrevised 0.6% increase in December, the Conference Board said Thursday.

Initial claims U.S. state unemployment benefits fell by 7,000 to 222,000 in the February 17 employment survey week.

Existing home sales fell 3.2% to a seasonally adjusted 5.38 million-unit rate in January.

The region's non-manufacturing sector “continued to expand,” as the general business conditions index soared to 31.0 in February.

The University of Michigan's preliminary February consumer sentiment index reading was 99.9.

U.S. import prices rose 1.0% in January on a 4.7% rise in fuel prices and a 0.4% rise for import prices outside of fuels, the strongest gain for that core series since March 2012.

The pace of housing starts surged by 9.7% to a 1.326 million seasonally adjusted annual rate in January.

Prices paid and received increased in February, and wage growth also grew in the month, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's February Business Leaders Survey, released Friday.

Builders’ confidence in the market for new single-family homes held as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index was steady at 72 in February.

Industrial production slid 0.1% in January, the Federal Reserve reported Thursday.