- Janet Yellen, Fed Chairwoman
It is still difficult to say whether the world's largest economy is on the mend or it still suffers from the winter and last year's upheavals. Thursday's data does not help either, as a report from the Census Bureau surprised markets to the upside, while weekly jobless claims disappointed markets. The U.S. Dollar, however, posted gains immediately after the data was out, with EUR/USD falling to 1.3796 and finally penetrating important 1.38-mark.
More Americans that projected filed applications for jobless benefits during the last week, as the Easter holiday period made it more challenging for the Labor Department to adjust data for seasonal variations, hence, figures distort the real picture. The number of initial jobless claims rose to 329,000 in the week ended April 19, up from the revised 305,000 a week earlier and more than the analysts had expected. The positive sign is that firing has slowed, meaning companies are getting more confident the economy is building up steam.
A separate report from the Census Bureau showed total orders for long-lasting goods climbed 2.6% last month, compared with a projection of a 2% gain and from downwardly revised 2.1% increase a month earlier. Commercial aircraft bookings were the main contributor to growth over the observed period. A core measure surprised markets to the upside as well.
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