Robert Hughes

New orders for future production fell 3.3 percent, led by a steep drop in aircraft orders.

The early read on economic data for August indicates the economy is maintaining positive momentum. The employment report for August from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows payrolls rose by 156,000. That is a solid gain, though it is below the average monthly gain of 175,000 over the past year. The government sector lost 9,000…

Revised estimates from the Bureau of Economic Analysis show the U.S. economy grew at a 3.0 percent annual rate in the second quarter, better than the initial estimate of 2.6 percent. There were upward revisions to core components of gross domestic product including consumer spending, business fixed investment, and housing, while exports and government spending…

The Consumer Confidence Index from The Conference Board rose for the second month in a row, increasing by 2.9 points to 122.9. The index is constructed so that 1985 equals 100. The index is now at the second-highest level since 2000, behind the 124.9 reading from March 2017. Both components of the index posted gains…

Orders for nondefense aircraft plunged 70.7 percent in July after surging 129.3 percent in June. Aircraft orders tend to be extremely volatile. Despite efforts to adjust for seasonal patterns, the annual air show in Paris can result in huge swings in orders in some years. The plunge in aircraft orders pulled total new orders at…