Consumer confidence nudged up in May, suggesting a positive turn for the pandemic-driven economic slump as the country starts to reopen. |
U.S. retail traffic jumped over Memorial Day weekend, according to cell phone data. Unacast reported national traffic to retail sites was about 25% of 2019 numbers. |
Last week's continuing unemployment claims fell for the first time during the pandemic. Initial claims came in at 2.12 million, for a 4-week total of more than 40 million. |
Home prices continued to grow in March. The FHFA's House Price Index showed 1st quarter gains over 2019, and Case-Shiller posted larger annual increases in March than in February. |
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Purchase mortgage apps rose for the 6th straight week, jumping 9 percent over the previous week and surging 54 percent over early April's activity. |
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New home sales increased in April, defying expectations of a huge drop. Builders have been reporting stronger demand, and builder sentiment rose in May. |