Labor/Economy

U.S. retail sales grew at their slowest rate in three months, the Census Bureau reported.

As expected, much of President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday focused on the economy, and in particular what he wants to do about the nervous economic state of the American middle class.

The National Association of Realtors reported on Monday that existing single-family home prices rose in 133 out of 152 U.S. metropolitan statistical areas, based on closings in the fourth quarter compared with same quarter in 2011, while 19 areas had price declines.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reported on Friday that the U.S. trade deficit dropped from $48.6 billion in November to $38.5 billion, both as the result of rising exports and dropping imports.

The National Association of Home Builders reported that builder confidence in the 55+ housing market improved during the fourth quarter of 2012, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.

Trulia reported that as newly constructed multifamily buildings are completed, the pace of rent gains fell at the national level for the first time since the price recovery began last spring.

CoreLogic reported that home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, increased year-over-year by 8.3 percent in December 2012.

The Federal Reserve reported on Monday in its Senior Loan Office Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices for January that “generally modest fractions” of domestic banks have reported eased their standards across major loan categories over the past three months.