Overall, still quite strong, but a bit disconcerting nonetheless.

The details are not as important as the overall message, which is that to the extent that the U.S. economy faces an inflation threat, it is not coming from core goods prices.

Once in a while it can be a bit disconcerting to be so recognisable.

This may mark the start of an upturn in exports, but it's too soon to be sure.

This increase reflects the upturn in the markets in recent weeks; any further gain in the near-term requires a further firming of stocks,

This is a welcome surprise; the trend in claims in recent weeks has been strongly upwards.