Free Trial

US Data: Highlights of MNI Survey of Economic Forecasts

     WASHINGTON (MNI) - The following are highlights of forecasts for   
upcoming U.S. economic indicators provided by participants in the MNI   
weekly survey. The comment section presents the key elements behind the 
median forecasts.
New Home Sales for September (annual rate)                              
 Wednesday, October 24 at 10:00 a.m. ET                  Actual:        
               Median         Range                  Sep18  Aug18  Jul18
 New Homes       625k     572k to 630k                  --   629k   608k
     Comments: New home sales are expected to decrease modestly to a    
625,000 annual rate in September following a rebound in August.         
Unadjusted sales were up 11.1% from a year earlier in August. Meanwhile,
home supply was up 1.6% month/month and 13.2% year/year, so the supply  
is rising and should be more than adequate to meet demand.              
Weekly Jobless Claims for October 20 week                               
 Thursday, October 25 at 8:30 a.m. ET                    Actual:        
               Median         Range                  Oct22  Oct15  Oct06
 Weekly Claims   215k     210k to 220k                  --   210k   215k
     Comments: The level of initial jobless claims is expected to       
rebound by 5,000 to a 215,000 level in the October 20 week after a      
decrease of 5,000 to 210,000 level in the previous week. The impact of  
Hurricane Michael is likely to spread out over several weeks, so the    
temporary drop is not surprising. The four-week moving average would    
hold steady in the coming week as the 215,000 level in the September 22 
rolls out of the calculation, assuming the MNI forecast is correct and  
there are no revisions.                                                 
Durable Goods Orders for September (percent change)                     
 Thursday, October 25 at 8:30 a.m. ET                    Actual:        
               Median         Range                  Sep18  Aug18  Jul18
 New Orders     -1.0%    -2.6% to +1.3%                 --  +4.4%  -1.2%
 Ex-Transport   +0.5%    -0.5% to +1.0%                 --   Flat  +0.2%
     Comments: Durable goods are expected to fall by 1.0% in September  
after a revised 4.4% surge in August. Boeing reported 65 orders in      
September, down from 99 orders in August, so transportation orders      
should lead the headline decline. Durable goods orders excluding        
transportation orders are expected to rise by 0.5%.                     
GDP for Third Quarter (advance estimate)                                
 Friday, October 26 at 8:30 a.m. ET                      Actual:        
               Median         Range                  3Q18a   2Q18   1Q18
 GDP            +3.3%    +2.9% to +3.6%                 --  +4.2%  +2.2%
 Chain Prices   +1.9%    +1.7% to +2.1%                 --  +3.0%  +2.0%
     Comments: Analysts see a 3.3% increase for third quarter GDP in the
advance estimate, softer than the 4.2% gain in the second quarter, but  
still above the first quarter. The key factors are expected to be softer
business investment and net exports than in the previous quarter, with  
the latter offering payback for the strong export growth in the second  
quarter ahead of the tariff implementation. Consumption is expected to  
again be a very positive factor in the headline number. The chain price 
index is expected to rise by 1.9% in the third quarter after a 3.0% gain
in the previous quarter.                                                
University of Michigan Survey for October (final)                       
 Friday, October 26 at 10:00 a.m. ET                     Actual:        
                Median        Range                 Oct18f Oct18p  Sep18
 Consumer Sent    99.0    98.6 to 99.5                  --   99.0  100.1
     Comments: The University of Michigan Sentiment index is expected to
be unrevised at a reading of 99.0, down from September but still solidly
ahead of readings in the summer.                                        
--MNI Washington Bureau; +1 202-371-2121; email: shikha.dave@marketnews.com
[TOPICS: MTABLE,M$U$$$]

To read the full story

Close

Why MNI

MNI is the leading provider

of intelligence and analysis on the Global Fixed Income, Foreign Exchange and Energy markets. We use an innovative combination of real-time analysis, deep fundamental research and journalism to provide unique and actionable insights for traders and investors. Our "All signal, no noise" approach drives an intelligence service that is succinct and timely, which is highly regarded by our time constrained client base.

Our Head Office is in London with offices in Chicago, Washington and Beijing, as well as an on the ground presence in other major financial centres across the world.