U.S. Economic News
April 22, 2021
U.S. Economic Indicators
Initial jobless claims decreased 39,000 to 547,000. The four-week moving average decreased 27,750 to 651,000. DOL Report
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index rose from -1.20 in February to +1.71 in March. All four broad categories of indicators improved from February and contributed positively to the overall index, led by production and consumption. Chicago Fed Report
Existing home sales fell 3.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.0 million in March but were up 12.3% compared to a year ago. Home sales decreased on a month-on-month basis in all four major regions but saw double-digit year-on-year growth in all except the Midwest. NAR Report
The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index (“LEI”) rose 1.3% in March following a 0.1% decrease in February. All ten components contributed positively to the index, suggesting a broad-based increase in economic momentum, supported by vaccination campaigns, fiscal stimulus, and gradual lifting of restrictions on mobility. Conference Board Report