Como se combate o populismo? "Com eleições", responde Fukuyama

[Info....]

8:35am 08/16/05 CORECT U.S. JULY CORE CPI UP 0.1%

8:29am 08/16/05 U.S. REAL EARNINGS DOWN 0.5% IN PAST YEAR
8:29am 08/16/05 U.S. JULY SHELTER PRICES UP 0.4%
8:29am 08/16/05 U.S. JULY NEW CAR PRICES FALL 1%
8:29am 08/16/05 U.S. CORE CPI UP 2.1% OVER PAST YEAR
8:29am 08/16/05 U.S. CPI UP 3.2% OVER PAST YEAR
8:29am 08/16/05 U.S. JULY ENERGY PRICES RISE 3.8%
8:29am 08/16/05 U.S. JULY CPI UP 0.5% VS. 0.4% EXPECTED

8:30am 08/16/05 U.S. JULY SINGLE-FAMILY PERMITS 1.69M UNITS, NEW RECORD HIGH
8:30am 08/16/05 U.S. JULY BUILDING PERMITS AT HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE FEB. 1973
8:30am 08/16/05 U.S. JUNE STARTS REVISED UP TO 2.045 M VS 2.004 MLN
8:30am 08/16/05 U.S. JULY HOUSING STARTS DOWN 0.1% TO 2.042 MLN


ECONOMIC REPORT: Gas pushes CPI up 0.5% in July; New car prices plunge 1%, the most in 30 years
By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch
Last Update: 8:36 AM ET Aug. 16, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Soaring energy prices pushed the U.S. consumer price index up 0.5% seasonally adjusted in July, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

Excluding food and energy prices, the core CPI increased 0.1%.

The increase in the CPI was slightly ahead of expectations of a 0.4% gain among Wall Street economists surveyed by MarketWatch. The core CPI met expectations.

The increases in the CPI and the core CPI were the highest since April. The CPI was flat in June; core prices increased 0.1%.

The CPI has risen 3.2% in the past year, up from 2.5% year-over-year in June. The year-over-year gain in the core rate ticked a tenth of a percent higher to 2.1% in July.

Core inflation remains within the Federal Reserve's comfort zone. Policymakers are clearly alert to the dangers, having raised interest rates 10 times in the past 14 months to quell inflationary pressures.

Wages aren't putting any pressure on firms to raise their prices. Real hourly wages fell 0.2% in July. Over the past year, real hourly and weekly earnings (adjusted for inflation) have fallen 0.5%.

Energy prices, which increased 3.8%, were the main source of higher consumer prices in July. Gasoline prices rose 6.1%, while natural gas prices increased 3.8%. Electricity prices fell 0.3%.

In the past year, energy prices are up 14.2%, while gasoline prices are up 19.5%.

Elsewhere, consumer prices showed modest but accelerating gains.

Housing prices, which accounts for 40% of the CPI, increased 0.4%, the most in four months. The acceleration was largely due to a reversal in hotel and motel prices, which rose 1.2%. Rents rose 0.3%, while owners' equivalent rent increased 0.2%.

Transportation prices rose 1.5% on higher fuel costs. New car prices plunged 1% as automakers offered generous bargains. It was the largest drop in new car prices in 30 years. Used car prices rose 0.8%. Airfares rose 1.7%.

Medical care prices increased 0.4%, the most since March. Hospital services prices increased 0.6%, while drug prices rose 0.4%.

Apparel prices fell 0.9%, the largest decline in four years. It was the fourth straight month of falling or flat apparel prices. Over the past year, apparel prices have fallen 1.8%.

Food prices increased 0.2% in July, as increases in fresh fruit prices offset a drop in beef and pork prices.

The Labor Department will report on the July producer price index on Wednesday. Economists expect a 0.5% gain, with the core PPI expected to rise 0.1%.


ECONOMIC REPORT: Housing starts slip to 2.04 million; Permits for single family homes rise to new record
By Greg Robb, MarketWatch
Last Update: 8:34 AM ET Aug. 16, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The nation's pace of constructing new homes slipped slightly in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.042 million housing starts, the Commerce Department estimated Tuesday.

The level of housing starts in July was in line with economist's expectations, according to a survey conducted by MarketWatch.

June's starts were revised higher to 2.045 million from the 2.004 million reported last month. Read the full report.

Meanwhile, building permits, considered a forward-looking indicator for the home-construction market, rose 1.6% last month to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 2.167 million. It is the highest level since February 1973.

Permits for single-family homes rose 2% to a record 1.69 million annual rate.

In July, starts rose in all districts except the South.

U.S. home construction has been supported by strong sales, which in turn have been boosted by rising incomes, and appreciating home values. The sector has so far been immune to the steady increase in short-term interest rates engineered by the Federal Reserve.

The Commerce Department warned that month-to-month swings in the starts and permits data may not be meaningful. It can take up to five months for a new trend in housing starts to be established.

Over the past five months, starts have averaged 1.998 million, down from 2.035 million a month ago.

In a separate report, the Labor Department said the consumer price index was boosted by higher energy prices in July.