Manufacturing Recovers Previous Month’s Loss.

Industrial Production (February 2014)

– Production Month/Month +0.6%. Previous was -0.2%

– Capacity Utilization 78.8%. Previous was 78.5%

– Manufacturing Month/Month +0.8%. Previous was -0.8%.

The important number is that Manufacturing recovered the loss from the previous month.  Because there had been so much bad weather in most of the country it is difficult to know it this was about the economy or the weather.

Housing Market Index (March 2014)

– Housing Market Index 47. Previous was 46.

This is a survey index taken by the National Association of Home Builders.  The previous month represented a record drop in the index.

Empire State Manufacturing Survey (March 2014)

– General Business Conditions Index 5.61.  Previous was 4.48.

This index is a relic of the time when New York was an important manufacturing state.