All three indexes posted solid gains for the week. The Dow rose 1.2%, while the S&P 500 added 1.4%. The Nasdaq jumped nearly 1.7%. On the commercial real estate front, CoStar Group reported that CRE sale prices stalled a bit in December and the National Composite Index ended 2011 up a flat 0.2% from year-ago levels, but 5.5% above its low point in March 2011, thanks to a mid-year surge.
Below are links to the top economics news for the week:
- Conference Board Index for U.S. Increases Again
- Crude oil settles at its highest level of 2012
- U.S. Rig Count is up 5 from last week at 1994; up 281 year over year
- BLS: CPI increases 0.2% in January
- Real average hourly earnings unchanged in January
- CoStar Repeat Sale Indices shows a modest increase in CRE prices
- Energy-Driven Markets Power U.S. Office Absorption
- Delinquencies and Foreclosures Decline in Latest MBA Mortgage Survey
- Unemployment applications drop to a 4-year low
- Housing Starts increase in January
- Industrial production was unchanged in January
- The Producer Price Index for finished goods advances 0.1%
- Builder Confidence Increases for 5th Consecutive Month in February
- U.S. import prices rose 0.3 percent in January
- Small Business Confidence in a Lull
- Retail Sales increased 0.4% in January
