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

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10:00am 11/29/05 U.S. OCT. NEW HOME SALES PRICE UP 0.9% Y-0-Y TO $231K
10:00am 11/29/05 U.S. SEPT. NEW HOME SALES REVISED TO 1.26 MLN VS 1.20 MLN
10:00am 11/29/05 U.S. OCT. NEW HOME SALES WELL ABOVE 1.22M FORECAST
10:00am 11/29/05 U.S. OCT. NEW HOME SALES BIGGEST RISE SINCE APRIL 1993
10:00am 11/29/05 U.S. OCT. NEW HOME SALES UP 13.0% TO RECORD 1.42 MLN UNITS

10:00am 11/29/05 U.S. NOV. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE AT 98.9 BEATS 90.0 FORECAST
10:00am 11/29/05 BIGGEST JUMP IN CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IN 2 1/2 YEARS
10:00am 11/29/05 U.S. NOV. CONSUMER PRESENT SITUATION INDEX 114.0 VS.107.8
10:00am 11/29/05 U.S. NOV. CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS INDEX 88.8 VS. 70.1
10:00am 11/29/05 U.S. NOV. CONSUMER CONFIDENCE INDEX RISES TO 98.9 VS. 85.2


ECONOMIC REPORT: U.S. consumer confidence surges; Biggest jump in index in more than 2 years
By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch
Last Update: 10:00 AM ET Nov. 29, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. consumer confidence bounced back in November as gasoline prices retreated, the Conference Board said Tuesday.

The consumer confidence index jumped 13.7 points to 98.9 in November from a revised 85.2 in October. It was the largest jump since just after the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Economists expected an increase to about 90, according to a survey conducted by MarketWatch.

Consumer confidence had fallen in September and October as hurricanes whipped the economy, driving gasoline prices to historic levels and depressing job growth.

The confidence index peaked at 106.2 in June before rising energy prices pushed it down to 105.5 in August.

"The shock of the hurricanes and subsequent leap in gas prices has begun wearing off just in time for the holiday season," said Lynn Franco, director of consumer research at the private research organization.

"Despite this latest boost in confidence, holiday spending will be driven by the bargains consumers have come to expect," she said.

Average retail gasoline prices fell from $2.97 per gallon at the beginning of October to $2.20 at the end of November, according to the Energy Department.

The present situation index rose to 114.0 in November from 107.8 in October. It was at 123.8 in August.

The expectations index surged to 88.8 in November from 70.1 in October. It's the biggest increase since April 2003. The expectations index was at 93.3 in August.

Consumers' assessment of the economy improved in November. The percentage saying the economy is bad fell to 17.3% from 18.4%, while the number saying it is good rose to 25.5% from 23.3%.

The labor market is also improving, the survey suggests. The number saying jobs are plentiful was nearly unchanged at 20.8%, but the number saying jobs are hard to get fell to 23.2% from 25.3%.

Expectations also improved significantly. The percentage expecting the labor market to improve rose to 14.2% from 12.3%, while the percentage expecting fewer jobs plunged to 17.7% from 24%.


ECONOMIC REPORT: New home sales surge to record high in Oct.; Largest monthly increase since April 1993
By Greg Robb, MarketWatch
Last Update: 10:00 AM ET Nov. 29, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Rumors of the death of the U.S. housing market must have been exaggerated.

U.S. new home sales jumped by 13% in October to a record 1.42 million seasonally adjusted annual rate, the Commerce Department estimated Tuesday.

This is the biggest rise since April 1993.

October sales smashed the previous record of 1.37 million set in July.

The gain was much larger than expected. Economists were looking for sales of about 1.22 million in October, according to a survey conducted by MarketWatch.

Sales in September were revised to an increase of 0.9% to 1.26 million units, compared with the initial estimate of a 2.1% gain to 1.22 million units.

Sales in October were up 9% from a year earlier.

The sales figures seem to contradict anecdotal reports that the housing market has cooled dramatically as mortgage rates rise above 6%. But the government cautions that its housing data are extremely volatile and subject to large sampling and other statistical errors.

On Monday, the National Association of Realtors said sales of previously owned homes fell 2.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 7.09.

In October, the inventory of unsold homes on the market rose by 1.2% to a record 496,000, but this represents only a 4.3-month supply at the torrid October sales pace, down from a 4.7 month pace in the previous month.

The median price of a new home rose 1.6% in October to $231.300. Median prices are up just 0.9% in the past year.