Economic indicators

The January employment report released Friday showed nonfarm payrolls rose by a stronger-than-expected 200,000.

Construction spending was up 0.7% in December, above the expected 0.5% gain, mainly due to the 0.8% gain in private construction spending.

The overall economy grew for the 105th straight time, the Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday.

Nonfarm productivity fell 0.1% in the preliminary estimate for the fourth quarter, compared with expectations for a 0.7% gain.

Initial claims for U.S. state unemployment benefits fell by 1,000 in the January 27 week to 230,000.

About 4,903,300 online job postings appeared on leading internet job boards in January, an increase of 1,200 from December, the Conference Board reported Wednesday.

Pending home sales rose 0.5% to an index reading of 110.1 in December, from an upwardly revised 109.6 in November.

The Chicago Business Barometer declined to 65.7 in January from a revised 67.8 in December.

The employment cost index fell slightly in the fourth quarter to an expected 0.6% increase.

The December Midwest Economy Index climbed to 0.43 from a revised 0.17 in November, first reported 0.22, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said Wednesday.

Private-sector employment increased by 234,000 in January, on a seasonally adjusted basis, ADP estimated Wednesday.

Texas service sector activity “continued to increase in January, albeit at a slower pace than last month,” according to business executives responding to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey, as the revenue index plunged to 12.8 from 24.4.

The consumer confidence index increased to 125.4 in January from a revised 123.1 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.

Home prices rose 6.2% on an annual basis in November, 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 January,” albeit at a slower pace than in December.

Personal income rose 0.4% in December, while nominal PCE was up 0.4% and the core PCE price index rose 0.2%.

The value of U.S. durable goods orders surged by 2.9% in December, well ahead of expectations for a 0.9% gain due to a 7.4% jump in transportation orders.

Fourth quarter GDP rose 2.6% in the advance estimate, slower than the 3.0% pace expected.

Manufacturing activity in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's region "strengthened further, and expectations for future activity increased" in January.

The pace of new single-family home sales decreased by 9.3% to 625,000 in December.