Home Sales to Factories Point to Second-Half Weakness: Economy

Sales of existing U.S. homes unexpectedly dropped and manufacturing in the Philadelphia region contracted for a third month, showing economic weakness is extending into the second half of the year.

Home purchases slid 5.4 percent in June to a 4.37 million annual rate, an eight-month low, figures from the National Association of Realtors showed today in Washington. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s general economic index was minus 12.9 in July after minus 16.6 the month before. Readings of less than zero signal contraction.

The figures underscore Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke’s concerns that growth may be too feeble to reduce unemployment stuck above 8 percent since February 2009. Other reports today showed consumer confidence weakened, claims for unemployment benefits rose and an index of leading economic indicators declined more than forecast.

“We’ll have very slow growth,” said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at Maria Fiorini Ramirez Inc. in New York and the best forecaster of U.S. economic indicators in the two years through May, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News. “The excess supply of homes will weigh on housing for quite some time. Manufacturing is starting to suffer a bit. The labor market remains pretty soggy.”

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