02:53 PM EDT, 10/16/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The New York Federal Reserve's monthly business leaders index, a measure of services conditions, fell to minus 23.6 in October from minus 19.4 in September, indicating faster contraction.

Other services data will be released over the coming weeks.

The National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index rose to a reading of 37 in October from 32 in September, the highest level since April but still below a reading of 43 in October 2024.

NAHB said that lower mortgage rates have lifted activity, but many buyers remain sidelined waiting for further rate reductions, adding that builders continue to face supply-side shortages.

The Philadelphia Fed's manufacturing reading fell to minus 12.8 in October from 23.2 in September, in contrast to the gain in Empire State manufacturing data released on Wednesday.

Natural gas stocks rose by 80 billion cubic feet to 3.721 trillion cubic feet in the week ended Oct. 10, up 0.7% from a year earlier and 4.3% higher than the seasonal average for the current week over the previous five years.

Total crude oil inventories rose by 4.3 million barrels in the week ended Oct. 10, with commercial oil inventories up 3.5 million barrels and stocks in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve up 800,000 barrels. Gasoline inventories and distillate inventories both decreased last week.

The US Treasury posted a $197.95 billion budget surplus in September on Thursday, wider than the $80.29 billion budget surplus a year earlier. For the full fiscal year, the deficit was $1.775 trillion, smaller than $1.817 trillion gap in the same period a year earlier.