The producer price index for total final demand fell 0.1% in September. Retail sales fell 0.3% in September. Business inventories increased 0.2% in August. The U.S. Treasury budget showed a surplus of $105.8 billion for September. Industrial production increased 1.0% in September. Housing starts increased 6.3% in September to a higher-than-expected annualized 1.017 million units. Building permits increased 1.5% in September to an annualized pact of 1.018 million units. Initial jobless claims fell 23,000 to 264,000 for the week ended 10/11.

• The producer price index for total final demand fell 0.1% in September. Year-over-year, PPI-FD is up 1.6%. PPI-FD excluding food & energy is unchanged for the month (up 1.8% from a year ago), and additionally excluding trade services is down 0.1% (up 1.7% from a year ago).
• Retail sales fell 0.3% in September. Excluding autos, sales fell 0.2%; excluding autos and gas, sales were down 0.1%.
• Business inventories increased 0.2% in August.
• The U.S. Treasury budget showed a surplus of $105.8 billion for September. The fiscal deficit for 2014 fell 29 percent to $483.4 billion, or 2.8% of GDP; an 8.9% rise in revenue and a 1.3% rise in spending factored into September’s surplus.
• Industrial production increased 1.0% in September. Manufacturing was up 0.5% with capacity utilization up to 79.3%.
• Housing starts increased 6.3% in September to a higher-than-expected annualized 1.017 million units. Year-over-year, starts are up 17.8%.
• Building permits increased 1.5% in September to an annualized pace of 1.018 million units. Year-over-year, permits are up 2.5%.
• Initial jobless claims fell 23,000 to 264,000 for the week ended October 11^th. This is the lowest of the recovery and since April 2000.