Economic indicators

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.

Final demand PPI rose 0.4% in January, while the core rate, which excludes food and energy, also gained 0.4%.

Initial jobless claims rose to 230,000 in the week ended Feb. 10, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Manufacturers report continued growth in February, as demand, reflected in new orders, rose, and more firms added to their payrolls.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed "business activity continued to expand in New York State."

The value of business inventories rose 0.4% in December, slightly above analysts' expectations for a 0.3% rise.

U.S. retail sales unexpectedly fell in January and December figures were revised downward, suggesting consumer spending is on a slower track in the first quarter.

U.S. consumer prices rose by more than projected in January as apparel costs jumped the most in nearly three decades.

Small business optimism grew in January, as a record number of owners said now is a good time to expand, the National Federation of Independent Business said Tuesday.

The federal government ran a $49.2 billion surplus in January, the Treasury Department reported Monday.

Consumers’ inflation expectations dipped, but respondents see households’ financial condition improving.