United States: Economy Still Climbing the Mountain
The second estimate of Q2 real GDP posted a 0.6% quarterly decline, slightly better than the first-reported 0.7% drop. New home sales fell 12.6% in July, reflecting the ongoing downshift in housing activity. Durable goods orders were essentially flat in July, while personal income and spending rose 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively. University of Michigan consumer sentiment improved to 58.2 in August.