Economic Data Forecasts for the Weeks of March 7 and 14

Here are my forecasts for upcoming economic data.

Forecast

Prior Observation

Consensus

Week of March 7

March 7

Consumer Credit - January

$20.00

18.9

23.8

March 8

NFIB Small Business Optimism Index - February

97.1

97.1

International Trade - January

-$89.1B

-80.7

-87.1

Wholesale Inventories - January

0.8%

0.8

0.8

Wholesale Sales

March 9

JOLTS - January

11.100M

10.925

10.925

March 10

Initial Unemployment Claims

225K

215

216

Consumer Price Index - February

0.7%

0.6

0.8

CPI Core

0.6

0.6

0.5

Treasury Budget - February

-$210.0B

118.7

March 11

Michigan Consumer Sentiment - March (p)

66.0

68.2

66.0

Week of March 14

March 15

PPI

0.6%

1.0

0.8

PPI less food, energy and trade services

0.9

NY Fed Manufacturing Index

10.0

3.1

0.8

March 16

Retail Sales - February

0.6%

3.8

0.6

Retail Sales, ex Autos

0.8

3.3

0.8

Export Prices - February

1.6%

2.9

Import Prices

1.5

2.0

FMOC

0.375

0.125

Business Inventories - January

1.0%

2.1

1.0

NAHB Index

80

82

81

March 17

Initial Unemployment Claims

Housing Starts - February

1.665

1.638

1.670

Building Permits

1.880

1.895

1.865

Philadelphia Fed Survey

18.0

16.0

18

Industrial Production - February

0.2%

1.4

0.5

Manufacturing Output

0.4

0.2

Capacity Utilization

77.5

77.6

77.8

Leading Indicators - February

0.2%

-0.3

0.2

March 18

Existing Home Sales - February

6.100M

6.500M

6.300