by Calculated Risk on 3/29/2013 08:46:00 AM

The BEA released the Personal Income and Outlays report for February:

Personal income increased $143.2 billion, or 1.1 percent ... in February, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $77.2 billion, or 0.7 percent.
...
Real PCE -- PCE adjusted to remove price changes -- increased 0.3 percent in February, the same increase as in January. ... PCE price index -- The price index for PCE increased 0.4 percent in February, compare with an increase of less than 0.1 percent in January. The PCE price index, excluding food and energy, increased 0.1 percent, compared with an increase of 0.2 percent.
...
Personal saving -- DPI less personal outlays -- was $310.9 billion in February, compared with $262.5 billion in January. The personal saving rate -- personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income -- was 2.6 percent in February, compared with 2.2 percent in January.

The following graph shows real Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) through February (2005 dollars). Note that the y-axis doesn't start at zero to better show the change.

Click on graph for larger image.

The dashed red lines are the quarterly levels for real PCE. Both income and spending were above expectations in February, although some of the increase in spending was related to higher gasoline prices.

Using the two-month method to estimate Q1 PCE growth (first two months of the quarter), PCE was increasing at a 3.5% annual rate in Q1 2013 (using mid-month method, PCE was increasing at 3.2% rate). This suggests upward revisions to Q1 GDP forecasts.

by Calculated Risk on 3/28/2013 09:54:00 PM

Note: Markets Closed will be closed Friday in observance of the Good Friday Holiday.

Earlier the Chicago ISM reported:

The Chicago Purchasing Managers reported the Chicago Business Barometer veered downward, falling 4.4 points to 52.4 in March. After a strong start to the year, the Business Barometer was knocked back by steep declines in New Orders, Production, and another disappointing dip in Order Backlogs. All other Business Activity measures also declined in March, the exception being supplier lead times, which lengthened considerably. 

The employment index declined slightly to 55.1 from 55.7, and new orders were down sharply to 53.0 from 60.2 in February (above 50 is expansion).

Also, Catherine Rampell at the NY Times Economix brings us another reminder that the middle class is struggling: Median Household Income Down 7.3% Since Start of Recession

Median annual household income in February 2013 was $51,404, about 1.1 percent (or $590) lower than the January 2013 level of $51,994. The numbers are all pretax, and are adjusted for both inflation and seasonal changes.

February’s median annual household income was 5.6 percent lower than it was in June 2009, the month the recovery technically began; 7.3 percent lower than in December 2007, when the most recent recession officially started; and 8.4 percent lower than in January 2000, the earliest date that this statistical series became available.

Friday economic releases:
• At 8:30 AM ET, Personal Income and Outlays for February. The consensus is for a 0.9% increase in personal income in February (following the sharp increase in December due to some people taking income early to avoid higher taxes, and then the subsequent sharp decline in January), and for 0.6% increase in personal spending. And for the Core PCE price index to increase 0.2%.

• At 9:55 AM, Reuter's/University of Michigan's Consumer sentiment index (final for March). The consensus is for a reading of 72.5.

• At 10:00 AM, the Regional and State Employment and Unemployment (Monthly) for February 2013 will be released.

by Calculated Risk on 3/28/2013 05:01:00 PM

The third estimate of Q4 GDP report was released this morning, and although GDP was revised up, growth was still very weak at a 0.4% annualized real rate in Q4.  Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) were at a 1.8% annualized real growth rate; the third consecutive quarter with a sub 2% growth rate.

There were two significant drags on GDP in Q4, the changes in private inventories subtracted 1.52 percentage points, and government spending subtracted 1.41 percentage points. Inventories will probably rebound in Q1, but government spending (especially at the Federal level) will remain under pressure all year.

Overall this was a weak report, but with some underlying positives especially related to investment (a leading indicator).   The following graph shows the contribution to GDP from residential investment, equipment and software, and nonresidential structures (3 quarter centered average). This is important to follow because residential investment tends to lead the economy, equipment and software is generally coincident, and nonresidential structure investment trails the economy.

For the following graph, red is residential, green is equipment and software, and blue is investment in non-residential structures. So the usual pattern - both into and out of recessions is - red, green, blue.

The dashed gray line is the contribution from the change in private inventories.

Click on graph for larger image.

Residential Investment (RI) made a positive contribution to GDP in Q4 for the seventh consecutive quarter. Usually residential investment leads the economy, but that didn't happen this time because of the huge overhang of existing inventory, but now RI is contributing. The good news: Residential investment has clearly bottomed.

The ongoing positive contribution from RI to GDP is a significant story. 

Equipment and software investment increased solidly in Q4, after decreasing in Q3. This followed twelve consecutive quarters with a positive contribution.

The contribution from nonresidential investment in structures was revised to a positive in Q4. Nonresidential investment in structures typically lags the recovery, however investment in energy and power has masked the ongoing weakness in office, mall and hotel investment (the underlying details will be released next week).

The increase in investment is a key positive looking forward.

The second graph shows the contribution to percent change in GDP for residential investment and state and local governments since 2005.

The blue bars are for residential investment (RI), and RI was a significant drag on GDP for several years. Now RI has added to GDP growth for the last 7 quarters (through Q4 2012).

However the drag from state and local governments is ongoing.   Although not as large a negative as the worst of the housing bust (and much smaller spillover effects), this decline in state and local government spending has been relentless and unprecedented.    I expect the drag from state and local governments to end, but the drag from Federal spending will be ongoing.

The key story is that residential investment is continuing to increase, and I expect this to continue.   The change in private inventories will rebound in Q1, and I expect GDP to be closer to 3% this quarter.   Since RI is the best leading indicator for the economy, this suggests no recession this year or in 2014 (with the usual caveats about Europe and policy errors in the US).

by Calculated Risk on 3/28/2013 02:40:00 PM

Just a few thoughts based on some recent conversations: The key driver for new residential construction, both single family and rental properties, is household formation. And household formation is mostly driven by jobs.  So jobs are the key driver for new residential construction.

But wait ... there are about 3 million fewer payroll jobs now than at the start of the recession. So why do we need any new housing units?

Two frequently mentioned reasons are more foreign buying (so jobs are not a driver), and that housing is not transportable, so some areas will need more housing.    However many areas are seeing a pickup in construction (not just areas with better job growth).    There probably is more foreign buying, especially in the gateway cities like New York, Miami (for South American buyers), and in California for Asian buyers, but that doesn't explain all of the apparent disconnect between total jobs and households.

I think the real reason for the changing ratio between total jobs and households is demographics.

In the decade from 1994 through 2003 (data started in 1994), the BLS reported the number of people "55 and over" and "not in the labor force" increased by 4.3 million.  But in the last 9+ years,  from January 2004 until February 2013, the BLS reports the number of people over 55 and not in the labor force increased by 8.1 million. So more older people are leaving the labor force.

And older people tend to live in smaller households (see from the Census Bureau: America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2012), and this has pushed down the overall household size - even with some people doubling up. The overall mean household size in America is 2.55, but that falls to 2.29 for householders in the 55 to 59 age group, and 2.07 in the 60 to 64 age group, 1.91 in the 65 to 74 age group, and to 1.60 for those 75 and older.

This increase in the number of retired Americans with smaller household sizes means the relationship between jobs and households has changed over time.   Models of the relationship of number of households to jobs have to be modified to include changing demographics - and this is one reason why the US needs more housing.

by Calculated Risk on 3/28/2013 11:00:00 AM

This is the last of the regional manufacturing surveys for March, and the Kansas City region was the only area showing contraction. From the Kansas City Fed: Tenth District Manufacturing Survey Fell at a Slower Rate

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City released the March Manufacturing Survey today. According to Chad Wilkerson, vice president and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, the survey revealed that Tenth District manufacturing activity fell at a slower rate, but producers were considerably more optimistic about future months.

“Factory activity rebounded somewhat in March, although overall levels still remain sluggish. Contacts continued to cite uncertainty about healthcare costs and the overall economy as reasons for lower growth,” said Wilkerson. “However, the outlook for future activity was notably more positive than in previous months.”

The month-over-month composite index was -5 in March, up from -10 in February ... The composite index is an average of the production, new orders, employment, supplier delivery time, and raw materials inventory indexes. ... The production index increased from -11 to -1, and the shipments and new order indexes recorded levels of 0, the highest value in seven months. In contrast, the employment index posted its lowest level since July 2009, and the new orders for exports index also fell.

Most future factory indexes improved considerably in March. The future composite index jumped from 4 to 14, and the future production, shipments, new orders, and order backlog indexes also increased. The future employment index rose from 2 to 12, its highest level in six months.

Here is a graph comparing the regional Fed surveys and the ISM manufacturing index:

Click on graph for larger image.

The New York and Philly Fed surveys are averaged together (dashed green, through March), and five Fed surveys are averaged (blue, through March) including New York, Philly, Richmond, Dallas and Kansas City. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) PMI (red) is through February (right axis).

The average of the five regional surveys was at the highest level since April 2012.

The ISM index for March will be released Monday, April 1st, and these surveys suggest a positive reading.

by Calculated Risk on 3/28/2013 08:42:00 AM

The DOL reports:

In the week ending March 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 357,000, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 341,000. The 4-week moving average was 343,000, an increase of 2,250 from the previous week's revised average of 340,750.

This report included the annual revision.

The following graph shows the 4-week moving average of weekly claims since January 2000.

Click on graph for larger image.


The dashed line on the graph is the current 4-week average. The four-week average of weekly unemployment claims increased to 343,000 - still near the post-recession low.

Weekly claims were above the 340,000 consensus forecast.  Note: This might be the beginning of unemployment claims being impacted by the "sequestration" budget cuts.

by Calculated Risk on 3/27/2013 09:39:00 PM

The banks open in Cyprus tomorrow with strict capital controls, from Reuters: G4S Readies Guards as Cypriot Banks Prepare to Open

The Central Bank said banks would open their doors at midday (6 a.m. EST) on Thursday after nearly two weeks when Cypriots could only get cash through limited ATM withdrawals.

A central bank official said Cypriots would be allowed to withdraw no more than 300 euros ($380) a day.

Yiangos Demetriou, head of internal audit at the Central Bank, said ... that the controls would allow unlimited use of credit cards within Cyprus, but set a limit of 5,000 euros per month abroad. He said the measures would last four days but could be reviewed.

I doubt the controls will last only four days. The more important question is what happens to the economy and employment in Cyprus. The unemployment rate is already 14.7% in Cyprus and could double over the next couple of years.

Note: SIFMA recommends 2:00 PM market close on Thursday in observance of the Good Friday Holiday.

Thursday economic releases:
• At 8:30 AM ET, the initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. The consensus is for claims to increase to 340 thousand from 336 thousand last week. The "sequester" budget cuts might start impacting weekly claims soon.

• Also at 8:30 AM, the BEA will release their third estimate of Q4 GDP. The consensus is that real GDP increased 0.6% annualized in Q4, revised up from 0.1% in the second estimate.

• At 9:45 AM, the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index for March. The consensus is for a decrease to 56.1, down from 56.8 in February.

• At 11:00 AM, the Kansas City Fed regional Manufacturing Survey for March will be released. This is the last of the regional surveys, and the consensus is for a reading of minus 3, up from minus 10 in February (below zero is contraction).

by Calculated Risk on 3/27/2013 05:07:00 PM

I've been watching inventory closely, and in February I wrote: "if inventory keeps falling sharply, we might see stronger house price gains in 2013 than originally expected ...". Since then I've pointed out several analysts who have increased their house price forecasts for 2013.

Nick Timiraos at the WSJ lists more analysts today: Home Prices Seen Making Stronger Gains in 2013

Ivy Zelman, chief executive of research firm Zelman & Associates, said Wednesday she was now expecting prices to rise by 7% this year, up from earlier estimates of 6%, 5%, and 3%. ... She’s also calling for a 5% gain next year because she says the supply shortages and growing demand that fueled last year’s turnaround show no signs of easing.

John Burns, who runs a real-estate consulting firm in Irvine, Calif., is calling for a 9% gain in home prices this year, up from a 5% forecast late last year.

Among those who have revised up their forecasts in the last month are analysts at Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Capital Economics and J.P. Morgan, which have taken their forecasts to 6-8%, from earlier predictions of 3-6%.

The key is inventory. In recent weeks, we've seen some increase in inventory (more than the usual seasonal increase), but inventory levels are still very low. Right now, unless inventory increases significantly over the next few months, it looks like prices will increase at about the same rate as in 2012.

Although there are reasons for the low inventory - homeowners with negative equity can't sell, strong investor buying at the low end, homeowners not wanting to "sell at the bottom" to list a few - eventually higher prices will lead to more inventory coming on the market and smaller price increases.

by Calculated Risk on 3/27/2013 02:31:00 PM

From economist Tom Lawler:

While Fannie Mae still hasn’t released its 2012 10-K, FHFA released its quarterly “Foreclosure Prevention Report” for Q4/2012, which includes data on foreclosure prevention activity, foreclosures, short sales/DILs, loan modifications, credit performance, and Real Estate Owned (REO) activity at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. ...

Here is a chart showing the SF REO Inventory of Fannie, Freddie, FHA, Private-Label Securities, and FDIC-Insured Institutions. For the latter, I assume that the average carrying value is 50% higher than that of the average for Fannie and Freddie.

Click on graph for larger image.

SF REO inventories for these combined sectors were down 23.4% in 2012.

CR Note: Total REO is about half the level in 2008.  In 2008 most of the REO was Private-Label Securities.  The peak in 2010 was related to more foreclosure activity at Fannie, Freddie and the FHA.

The second graph is for just Fannie, Freddie and the FHA REO.

REO at the "Fs" peaked in 2010, and is down about 35% since then.

by Calculated Risk on 3/27/2013 12:38:00 PM

Freddie Mac reported that the Single-Family Serious Delinquency rate declined in February to 3.15% from 3.20% in January. The serious delinquency rate is down from 3.57% a year ago (February 2012), and this is the lowest level since mid-2009.

The Freddie Mac serious delinquency rate peaked in February 2010 at 4.20%.

Fannie Mae hasn't reported for February yet.

Note: These are mortgage loans that are "three monthly payments or more past due or in foreclosure".

Click on graph for larger image

Although this indicates some progress, the "normal" serious delinquency rate is under 1%.  At the recent pace of improvement, it will take several years until the rates are back to normal.

NOTE: When Fannie Mae eventually releases their annual report for 2012, I'll post a graph of Real Estate Owned (REO) by Fannie, Freddie and the FHA (This is real estate that the agencies acquired through foreclosure or deed-in-lieu and haven't sold yet). Both Freddie and the FHA reported that their REO declined in Q4, and the combined total will be at the lowest level since 2009. Also the FDIC reported that the dollar value of REO for FDIC insured institutions declined in Q4, and it appears the private label REO declined too.