Full text of U.S. Financial Data : July 19, 2001

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July 19, 2001

USFinancialData
THE WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS:
■ The Conference Board’s composite index of leading indicators
increased 0.3 percent in June, making the increase in the past six
months 0.8 percent. Indicators related to monetary policy and
consumer expectations boosted the composite index, whereas
indicators related to manufacturing and stock prices had a negative
impact. Similarly, the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment
index rose in July to its second-highest level this year.
■ The U.S. international trade deficit declined to $28.3 billion in
May, as imports fell to their lowest level since February 2000.
A 5 percent fall in imports of capital goods—especially computer
equipment—between April and May contributed to a 2.4 percent
drop in imports.
■ The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.2 percent in June, and the
core consumer price index (which excludes food and energy) rose
0.3 percent. The CPI has increased 3.3 percent from a year
earlier, which is in line with the trend since early 2000. The core
CPI, in contrast, increased 2.8 percent from a year earlier, as part
of an upward trend from 2.0 percent in January 2000. In June, the
producer price index for finished goods stood 2.5 percent above its
level from a year earlier, the smallest year-over-year increase
since August 1999.
■ Weakness in manufacturing continued to hold down industrial
production in June. Industrial output fell by 0.7 percent in June,
the ninth consecutive monthly decline. Industrial output in June
was 3.6 percent below its level from June 2000.
All data are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise indicated.
U.S. Financial Data is published weekly by the Research Division of the Federal Reserve Bank of
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Information in this publication is also included in the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) data base
on the internet at www.stls.frb.org/fred.