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8:30 AM ET, Jun 15, 2007 - 10 minutes ago

U.S. Q4 2006 current account deficit revised to $187.9 bln
U.S. Q1 2007 current account deficit rises to $192.6 bln
Current account deficit smaller than $200 bln forecast

U.S. Q1 2007 current account deficit rises to $192.6 bln
By Robert Schroeder Last Update: 8:30 AM ET Jun 15, 2007


WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. current account deficit climbed in the first quarter of the year, but remained below its year-ago level, the Commerce Department reported Friday. The current account gap rose to $192.6 billion in the first quarter from a revised $187.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2006, the government said. In the first quarter, the current account made up 5.7% of gross domestic product. A year ago, the current account deficit was $213.8 billion, or 6.6% of GDP. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch were expecting the current account deficit to total about $200 billion in the first three months of the year.



U.S. June Empire State index highest since June '06
U.S. June Empire State index well above consensus 12.7
U.S. June Empire State index 25.8 vs 8.0 in May

U.S. June Empire State index at highest level in a year
By Greg Robb Last Update: 8:30 AM ET Jun 15, 2007
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Manufacturing activity in the New York area expanded sharply in June, the New York Federal Reserve Bank said Friday. The bank's Empire State Manufacturing index rose to 25.8 in June from 8.0 in May. Readings over zero indicate expansion. This is the highest level of the index since June 2006 and follows three lackluster months. Economists were expecting the index to rise to about 12.7 in June. The new orders index jumped to 17.2 from 8.0 in May, while shipments rose to 29.8 from 14.1. The employment index remained weak, falling to 3.4 from 9.7 while the workweek index fell to 3.2 from 11.1. The prices paid index rose to 42.6 from 34.4 in July. The prices received index fell to 9.6 from 15.6. The Empire State index is of interest to investors and economists primarily because it's seen as an early indicator of what the Institute for Supply Management's June national factory survey due out in two weeks may show. In May, the ISM manufacturing jumped to 55%, its highest level in over a year, easing fears of a dramatic slowdown in the U.S. economy.



U.S. May CPI prescription drug prices fall 0.1%
U.S. May CPI owners equivalent rent up 0.1%
U.S. May CPI food prices up 0.3%
U.S. May CPI energy prices up 5.4%
U.S. CPI up 2.7% year-over-year
U.S. core CPI up 2.2% year-over-year, 1-year low
U.S. May core CPI up 0.1% vs. 0.2% expected
U.S. May CPI rises 0.7% as expected


ECONOMIC REPORT: CPI running hot, but core remains cool; Consumer prices show 2nd largest gain in 16 years
By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch Last Update: 8:30 AM ET Jun 15, 2007

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Higher energy prices drove the consumer price index up by 0.7% in May, its largest increase since Hurricane Katrina and the second largest in 16 years, the Labor Department reported Friday.
But while consumer inflation was scorching hot, the core rate of inflation - which excludes food and energy costs - rose just 0.1%.
Core inflation has thus risen at 2.2% in the past 12 months, the smallest gain in more than a year and close to the Federal Reserve's target range. Core inflation has risen at just 1.6% annualized in the past three months.
The 0.7% gain on the headline CPI was just as expected by economists. But the 0.1% increase was less than the 0.2% anticipated by economists surveyed by MarketWatch.
The hot and cold inflation keeps the Federal Reserve in a bind. It's been expecting core inflation to subside, but it's also worried that higher energy and labor costs would bleed over into other prices, fueling a new round of generalized inflation.
In recent comments, Fed officials have looked past the decelerating core inflation figures, and said inflationary pressures remain elevated and remain the greatest risk to a stable economy.
The CPI is up 2.7% in the past year.
Inflation outpaced increases in workers' wages in May. Real weekly earnings fell 0.2% in May and are up 1.4% in the past year.

Details
The 0.7% increase was led by energy, food and communication costs. Inflation moderated for shelter, apparel and prescription drugs.
Energy costs soared 5.4%, as gasoline prices rose 10.5% after seasonal adjustment. Natural gas prices fell 0.9%.
Food prices rose 0.3%, the third straight month of more moderate increases after big gains in January and February. Pork prices jumped 2%, but fresh vegetable prices fell 1.8%.
Housing costs moderated. Owners equivalent rent of primary residence, the largest single item in the CPI, increased 0.1%, the smallest gain in nearly two years. Rents rose 0.3%.
Medical care costs rose 0.3%. Hospital charges jumped 0.7%, but prices for prescription drugs fell 0.1% and doctors' bills rose 0.1%.
Transportation prices rose 2.8% on higher fuel charges. Airfare fell 0.6%. New car prices fell 0.2%.
Apparel prices fell 0.3%.
Education and communication prices rose 0.6%. Tuitions rose 0.5%, while communications prices, which usually fall, rose 0.7%. Telephone prices rose 0.9%.