The Conference Board’s index of U.S. leading economic indicators rose for the fifth straight month in August. The streak represents the longest string of LEI gains in five years. The data further bolsters our view that growth likely began in June and will continue to strengthen through the end of the year. [...]

Wednesday saw significant spikes in confidence from four important market groups:
1. The Consumer: On Wednesday the Rasmussen Consumer Index, which measures consumer confidence on a daily basis, rocketed to its highest level in exactly one year.
2. Investors: Also on Wednesday, the Rasmussen Investor Index spiked to its highest level in over a year. Investor [...]

U.S. home builders started construction on many more residencies than expected in May. The Commerce Department reported that housing starts increased by 17%. Building permits also rose 4% — significantly more than expected. The increase in starts was punctuated by a 29% surge in the West.
As this recovery begins we’ve continued to [...]