November 2018 Institute for Supply Management
Submitted by Atlas Indicators Investment Advisors on December 6th, 2018
When it comes to the American economy, the consumer is the primary driver. In order for consumers to push output ahead, they need income to spend.
Sales of new homes continued falling in October 2018 according to the Census Bureau. Sales of new single-family houses dropped 53,000 to 544,000 on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis. This is 8.9 percent less than in September and 12.0 percent below the October 2017 figure of 618,000.
Economic output increased slightly in October 2018 according to the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI). Their indicator with 85 components edged up to +0.24 from +0.14 in September. Additionally, the three-month moving average increased marginally, rising to +0.31 from +0.30 which suggests a continued upward trajectory for the U.S. economy.