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The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Australia increased 0.1 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) increased 0.3 percent in June.

75% of Europeans think that stronger coordination of economic and financial policies among EU Member States would be effective in fighting the economic crisis, according to the Spring 2010 Eurobarometer, the bi-annual opinion poll organised by the EU. The survey was conducted in May – at the height of the European debt crisis – and published today. 72% of Europeans support a stronger supervision by the EU of the activities of the most important international financial groups, an increase of four percentage points from the last Eurobarometer in autumn 2009. Europeans’ main areas of concern in the crisis were the current economic situation (40%; unchanged compared to autumn 2009), unemployment (48%; -3 percentage points) and rising prices (20%; +1). The crisis also had an influence on citizens' perception of the EU: 40% of Europeans associate the EU with the euro (+3), 45% with the freedom to travel, study and work anywhere in the EU (-1), and 24% with peace (-4).

The Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) has just released the results of the 2010 Buying Behavior Survey. The results of the survey showed that members of the WPO alone have a projected spend of over $500,000 each on business expenses. Collectively WPO members will spend approximately $169 million on healthcare for 2010 and over $120 million on banking services including credit cards, cash management, line of credit and loan packages. The aggregate spend for WPO members is over $648 million.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the Euro Area increased 1.0 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) remained unchanged in July.

Budget-focused Americans still grappling with a sluggish economy say they don’t want a substantial new Value Added Tax that some policymakers are proposing as a way to reduce the federal deficit, according to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation by BIGresearch.

CredAbility, one of the leading nonprofit credit counseling and education agencies in the United States, released the CredAbility Consumer Distress Index results for the 2010 second quarter. The Index, a quarterly measure that tracks the financial condition of the average U.S. household, finds that high levels of unemployment and the strain of housing costs continue to keep consumers mired in financial distress. But consumers' net worth has increased for the past five quarters as they continue to pay down debt and, in some parts of the country, benefit from stabilizing housing prices.

TNS, the world's largest custom research company, released results of its latest survey related the use of web-based tools, mobile banking and social networking in the middle market banking segment. The survey, conducted among senior financial executives, reveals a new shift in behavior; despite traditional concerns over security, cost and technological infrastructure, a majority acknowledge that mobile banking will bring vast benefits to their business and many would consider adopting mobile banking solutions in the future.

Mortgage rates moved lower this week, with the average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate now 4.59 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.38 discount and origination points.

Private nonfarm business sector multifactor productivity increased at a 0.1 percent annual rate in 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. This was the slowest gain in multifactor productivity since 1995.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Mexico increased 0.1 percent and The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) increased 0.3 percent in June.