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...the Chicago PMI, edged back to a 58.4% reading in October from 60.4% in September. The reading was exactly in line with a MarketWatch-compiled economist poll...

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's national activity index, which gauges the health of the U.S. economy, improved to -0.22 in September from -0.59 in August...A three-month average of the index, meanwhile, rose to -0.21 from negative -0.28

Manufacturing in the Philadelphia region showed signs of recovery in October, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported Thursday. The Philly Fed diffusion index rose to 8.7 in October from negative 17.5 in September. This is the first positive reading in three months. Readings above zero indicate expansion. The jump was much stronger than expected. Economists polled by MarketWatch had anticipated a negative 10.0 reading for October.

...The Empire state index inched higher to a negative 8.5 in October from negative 8.8 in September. Readings below zero indicate deterioration, with higher numbers of firms reporting that conditions had worsened...

A gauge of consumer sentiment declined in October, as expectations and views on current conditions fell... The preliminary sentiment reading for October hit 57.5, compared with 59.4 in September. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected a slight rise, to 59.7, with volatility in the stock market offsetting lower gas prices. ... The sentiment reading, which covers how consumers view their personal finances as well as business and buying conditions, averaged about 87 in the year before the start of the most recent recession.

Manufacturing activity picked up a bit in September, according to a key survey released Monday that suggests a slow-growing economy that has nonetheless avoided falling into recession. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index rose to 51.6% from 50.6% in August. Economists polled by MarketWatch had anticipated an unchanged reading.

The final reading for September showed that sentiment rose to 59.4 from 55.7 in August, which was the lowest level since November 2008. A preliminary reading released earlier this month estimated a sentiment level of 57.8 for September. With stock volatility and weak employment maintaining downward pressure on sentiment, economists polled by MarketWatch had expected a slight rise to 57.6 in September.

...The Chicago purchasing managers index rose to 60.4 from 56.5 in August. The rise was unexpected. Analysts were looking for a slight decline. Readings over 50 indicate overall business expansion...

...The Kansas City Fed's manufacturing composite index increased to 6 in September from 3 in August. Readings above zero indicate expansion... The rest of the story from the KC Fed: The production index rose from -2 to 3, and the shipments, new orders, and order backlog indexes also edged up. The employment index increased for the second straight month, but the new orders for exports index fell slightly after rising last month. Both inventory indexes increased somewhat. The shipments, order backlog, and new orders for exports indexes all rose slightly, and the capital expenditures index increased to its highest level...

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Orders for U.S. durable goods fell slightly in August as demand shrank for motor vehicles and certain large defense goods, the government reported Wednesday. Bookings for U.S.-made products designed to last at least three years dipped 0.1% in August after a 4.1% gain in July, the Commerce Department said. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected orders to rise by 0.4%.

Manufacturing activity in the central Atlantic region contracted at a less pronounced rate this month, according to the Richmond Fed's latest survey. Looking at the main components of activity, employment grew at a slightly quicker rate, while shipments exhibited more moderate weakness and new orders slipped further into negative territory. Evidence of diminished weakness was also reflected in most other indicators. District contacts reported that backlogs, capacity utilization, and delivery times remained negative but improved from August's readings. Manufacturers reported somewhat quicker growth in finished goods inventories. Looking forward, manufacturers' assessments of business prospects for the next six months were...

As expectations slightly gained, consumer confidence ticked higher in September while remaining at low levels, the Conference Board reported Tuesday. The nonprofit organization said its consumer-confidence index rose to 45.4 in September from 45.2 in August, when it had plunged on worries about jobs and the U.S. debt, among other factors... Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected a September reading of 46.1...The August confidence reading was upwardly revised from a prior estimate of 44.5.

<p>The production index—a key measure of state manufacturing conditions—rose from 1.1 to 5.9, suggesting growth picked up this month after stalling in August.</p> <p>Positive readings in the survey generally indicate expansion of factory activity, while readings below zero generally indicate contraction.</p>

...The Philadelphia Fed said its index of current activity was -17.5 in September, an improvement from the -30.7 reading in August. Economists polled by MarketWatch had anticipated a -13.4 reading for September, though the miss wasn’t as stark as the August reading that shocked the market and economists alike...

...The Labor Department on Thursday said consumer prices rose a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in August. The increase was largely responsible for a 0.6% drop in the average hourly wages of U.S. workers, adjusted for inflation. It marked the biggest one-month decline in more than three years. Stripping out the volatile food and energy categories, the “core” rate of consumer price inflation rose a smaller 0.2%. Yet the core rate has also been rising steadily, hitting a 12-month level of 2.0% for the first time since November 2008.

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Manufacturing activity in the New York region weakened again in September, according to data released Thursday, raising fresh concern over the strength of the factory sector in the third quarter. The Empire State index decreased slightly to negative 8.8 in September from negative 7.7 in August, according to the manufacturing survey released by the New York Federal Reserve. This is the fourth month in negative territory. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected the index to improve to negative 4.0.

The National Federation of Independent Business' small-business optimism index declined 1.8 points in August to 88.1, the sixth drop in a row.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 20% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -23 (see trends). Data for this update is collected via nightly interviews and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. As a result, most of the interviews for this update were completed before the president’s speech on Thursday night. Check out our review of last week’s key polls to see “What They Told Us.” snip The Presidential...

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 20% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-two percent (42%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -22 (see trends).

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The U.S. service sector expanded at a slightly faster pace in August, but growth was spotty and prices paid for raw materials shot up, according to a survey of senior executives. The Institute for Supply Management on Tuesday said its service index rose to 53.3% in August from 52.7% in July. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected the index to fall to 51.0%.