February 2012 U.S. Economic Fundamentals

[Ally]

U.S. economy shows signs of life




Mostly comatose since the shock of the financial crisis, the U.S. economy just twitched a finger.




It has happened before, to little effect. `We were originally suckered in in early 2010; we`re a bit more cautious now,` said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics. `You need evidence it`s going to be sustained over more than a month or two.`




But any sign of life can`t be considered a bad thing.



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[Ally]

U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook





A Slow, Steady Path to Recovery







MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Freddie Mac (OTC:FMCC) released today its U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook for February showing cautious signs of the economy and housing market moving in a positive direction fueled by an environment of low interest rates and more favorable job prospects for Americans.







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[Ally]

U.S. unemployment claims hover at 4-year low




WASHINGTON - New claims for unemployment benefits were unchanged last week, holding at the lowest level since the early days of the 2007-2009 recession and giving a fresh sign the battered labor market is healing.







Workers filed 351,000 initial claims for state unemployment benefits, the Labor Department said on Thursday.







"It's broadly in line with recent U.S. data showing a gradually improving economic backdrop," said Omer Esiner, a market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange in Washington.





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[Ally]

U.S. existing home sales at 1-1/2 year high




Sales of previously occupied homes rose in January to the highest pace in nearly two years, a hopeful sign ahead of the spring-buying season.




The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that home sales increased 4.3 per cent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.57 million. That's the highest level since May 2010.





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