EUA e Irão chegam a acordo sobre cessar-fogo após troca intensa de ameaças

[Infoo]

8:30 AM ET, May 24, 2007 - 32 minutes ago
U.S. continuing jobless claims up 58,000 to 2.53 mln
U.S. 4-week avg. claims at lowest level since Feb. 2006
U.S. 4-week avg. jobless claims down 3,500 to 302,750
U.S. weekly jobless claims rise for first time in six weeks
U.S. weekly jobless claims up 15,000 to 311,000


ECONOMIC REPORT: Jobless claims up for first time in six weeks; 4-week average at lowest level since early 2006
By Greg Robb, MarketWatch Last Update: 8:38 AM ET May 24, 2007

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- First-time applications for state unemployment benefits rose by 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 311,000 in the week ending May 19, the first increase in the last six weeks, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
The four-week average of initial claims, considered a better gauge of underlying labor market strength because it smoothes out often-volatile data, dropped by 3,500 to 302,750, the lowest since late February 2006.
There were no special factors, such as severe weather events, holidays or strikes, that impacted the claims numbers, a Labor Department spokesman said.
Jobless claims have been strong since mid-April, pointing to a second half pickup in growth that is consistent with Federal Reserve forecasts.
Other indicators of economic conditions have not been so robust. Gross domestic product slowed to a crawl in the first quarter, rising only 1.3%, the slowest pace in four years.
Many economists expected the weak housing sector to lead to higher unemployment, but there has been no sign of this trend yet.
Meanwhile, the number of people collecting unemployment checks rose by 58,000 to a seasonally adjusted 2.53 million in the week ending May 12. The four-week average of continuing claims fell by 14,750 to 2.51 million.
The insured unemployment rate -- the percentage of those covered by unemployment insurance who are collecting benefits - held steady at 1.9%.
Initial claims represent job destruction, while the level of continuing claims indicates how hard or easy it is for displaced workers to find new jobs.
Compared with the same time last year, initial claims are down about 3.4% while continuing claims are down about 4%.


U.S. April transportation orders fall 1.3%
U.S. April durable goods shipments up 1.9%
U.S. March durable-goods orders revised up to 5.0% vs. 4.3%
U.S. April core capital equipment orders up 1.2%
U.S. April durable orders ex-transportation up 1.5%
U.S. April durable-goods orders up 0.6% vs. 0% expected

ECONOMIC REPORT: Orders for durable goods up healthy 0.6%; Revisions show factory activity stronger than expected
By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch Last Update: 8:58 AM ET May 24, 2007


WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- New orders for U.S.-made durable goods increased 0.6% in April, boosted by strong demand for metals, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
Orders in March rose a revised 5%, a six-month high, compared with a 4.3% estimate previously.
Demand in April was held back by a 10.7% drop in orders for civilian airplanes, where new orders had doubled in the previous two months. Excluding the extremely volatile transportation category, orders were up 1.5% in April, identical to the increase in March.
Orders for core capital equipment goods - the best monthly gauge of business investment - rose 1.2% after a 4.4% gain in March.
Economists surveyed by MarketWatch were looking for no change in durable goods orders in April.
The report lends credibility to other indicators of strengthening factory activity -- including the April Institute for Supply Management Institute index and the April industrial production report.
Shipments of durable goods rose a healthy 1.9% following a 1.3% gain in March. It was the biggest gain in shipments since August. More than half of the gain in shipments came from semiconductors, which increased 46%.
Shipments of core capital equipment - which are factored directly into calculations of gross domestic product - increased 0.7% in April. Core shipments were revised 1 percentage point higher in March and slightly lower in February, which will likely lead economists to raise their forecasts for next week's revision to first-quarter GDP up from the current 0.6%.
Inventories rose 0.5% in April, the most in seven months. With the strong gain in shipments, however, the inventory-to-shipments ratio for durable goods fell to 1.47, the lowest since December.
Unfilled orders - a sign of future production - rose 1.8%, matching March's gain. Almost all the gain came in the robust aircraft segment, however. Excluding transportation goods, unfilled orders were unchanged.
In a separate report, the Labor Department said first-time claims for unemployment benefits rose by 15,000 to 311,000 last week. The four-week average fell to the lowest level in 15 months, while continuing claims rose by 58,000.

Details of durables report
Demand was mixed across industrial categories, with strong demand for metals and electrical equipment partially offset by weak demand for other goods.
Orders for primary metals rose 4.3% after 5.2%. Shipments rose 2.3% after 2.6%.
Orders for fabricated metals rose 3.8% after a 0.8% drop in March. Shipments rose 2% after a 0.4% gain.
Orders for electrical equipment rose 3.8% after 2.2%. Shipments rose 2.2% after 2.9%.
Orders for machinery fell 1.7% after growing 5.3% in March. Shipments rose 3.8% after 2.9%.
Orders for transportation goods fell 1.3% after growing 13.6%. Shipments fell 1.4% after rising 2.4%.
Orders for electronics (excluding semiconductors) fell 0.1% after dropping 1.4%. Shipments (including semiconductors) rose 7.9% after falling 2.5%.