CNBC Economy

A slight increase in mortgage interest rates was enough to tank refinances and bring down overall demand.

Home prices in March were up 13%, one of the largest annual gains in the much-watched S&P Case Shiller index's history.

Fed Governor Lael Brainard pressed the case for a digital dollar, saying a cryptocurrency backed by the central bank could provide a variety of benefits.

Home sales in April dropped unexpectedly, as extremely low supply stands in the way of strong demand.

The Democratic chairman of the Senate Banking Committee sees economist Lisa Cook as his top choice to fill the Fed board's remaining vacancy.

The Federal Reserve will release a research paper this summer that explores a move to a central bank digital currency.

Initial claims for jobless benefits totaled 444,000 last week, better than the 452,000 Dow Jones estimate.

Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam are among Asian manufacturing economies that have reported a renewed Covid outbreak in the last few weeks.

Sky-high home prices mean demand for ever bigger mortgages, but those prices may also be causing a pullback in homebuying.

Federal Reserve officials at their April meeting said "it might be appropriate at some point" to consider tapering asset purchases.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is calling for business leaders to pay higher taxes to support government stimulus spending.

Strong buyer demand is keeping homebuilders confident, but rising construction material costs are weighing on housing affordability. 

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic said he's comfortable with ultra-loose policy even as inflation gains steam.

The concentration of price pressures in a handful of categories means markets shouldn't yet be worrying about inflation after Wednesday's U.S. surprise, economists have told CNBC.

The PPI spiked 6.2% for the 12 months ended in April, the largest increase since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started tracking the data in 2010.

There was probably less than met the eye from the startling inflation pop in April.

The recent pickup in inflation may, in fact, be a temporary — and welcome — change for those who fear a slowdown in U.S. GDP.

Total household debt balances rose by $85 billion in the first quarter, a 0.6% increase that brought the total level to $14.64 trillion.

"I'm very worried this is an unstoppable situation because the longer the Fed waits, the more they will have to raise the rates," Thomas Peterffy told CNBC.

Markets were braced for a hot consumer inflation report, but nowhere near the 4.2% headline increase reported for April.