Commentary Archive
(2009,2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002)


February 2010
08Two French Authorities Point To Improving Business Sentiment 
08Canada Housing Starts Rise; Still It Is Stalked By The Threat Of A Stalled Rebound
08U.S. Consumer Credit Becomes Third Rail Of U.S. Economy
05OECD LEIs Make Strong Advances
05U.S. Unemployment Rate Falls Sharply; Payroll Decline Is Modest
04U.S. Factory Shipments Surge and Trim Inventories Slightly
04German Orders Dive In December
04Strong U.S. Worker Productivity Drives Down Costs
04U.S. Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Inch Up
03EMU Retail Sales And The Euro-Area Prospects For Stability
03Challenger Indicates Labor Market Deterioration
03U.S. ISM Nonmanufacturing Index Remains Near Break-Even
03U.S. Vehicle Sales Suffer From Promotions' End
03ADP Report: Payroll Employment Decline Continues To Shrink
02German And French Retail Sales
02German Retail Sales In Very Slow-Motion Recovery
02U.S. Weekly Gasoline Prices Meander
02U.S. Pending Home Sales Improve
01Russian GDP Declined 7.9% In 2009
01EMU PMIs Continue To Recovery
01U.S. Construction Activity Falls Further
01ISM Manufacturing Index Reaches Highest Since 2004
01U.S. Personal Income & Spending In Record Decline Last Year
January 2010
29Michigan Consumer Sentiment Highest in Two Years
29U.S. Employment Cost Index Fell To Lowest On Record
29Ain’t No Sunshine When It’s Gone…Money Growth
29U.S. GDP Rise Is The Quickest Since 2003
28EMU Recovery Remains In Force
28Chicago Fed Index Slipped
28U.S. Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Slip
28U.S. Durable Goods Orders' Improvement Abates
27FOMC Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged
27 U.S. Federal Budget Deficit Projections Falling From Lofty Heights
27 French Biz And Household Sectors Continue Process Of Repair
27 U.S. New Home Sales Drop Again & Remain 75% Below Peak
26 FHFA Home Price Index Ticks Up Both M/M And Y/Y
26 Less Pessimism Among German Business Executives
26 U.S. Consumer Confidence Improves Modestly
26 Case-Shiller Home Price Gains Are Modest
25 Lackluster German Consumer Climate
25 Belgium Leads The Way, Pauses Then Resumes Its Climb
25 U.S. Existing Home Sales Sink But Prices Firm
22 EMU Orders Surprise But Really Do Not Delight
22 U.S. Leading Economic Indicators Suggest Continued Recovery
21 EMU Flash PMIs Tell Mixed tale… Improvement Continues But Pace Slows In
Services (Jobs) Sector
20 Housing Starts Unwound
20 Italian Orders Continue Upswing
20 PPI Core Behaves; Headline Is Still Unruly
19 U.S. Home Builders’ Index Dips Again
19 German Investors More Cautious On The General Outlook But Still See Improvement In
The Profit Outlook
19 Misery Reaches Highest Since 1983
18 Japan Data Show Improvement but Indicators Still Below a Year Ago
15 Michigan Consumer Sentiment Edges Higher
15 Industrial Output In December Is Lifted By Utilities
15 EMU Trade Surplus Shrinks
15 CPI's 2009 Decline Is First Since 1955
14

U.S. Business Inventories Show a Second Monthly Gain

14

U.S. Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Higher Again

14 U.S. Import Prices Are Stable As Oil Costs Slip
14 German Posts Lowest Annual Inflation Rate In 20-Years
14 U.S. Retail Sales Weaken At Yearend But 2009 Improved
13 Industrial Output Is Making Continued Gains In Europe
13 U.S. Small Business Optimism Slips Again As Credit Remains Tight
13 JOLTS: U.S. Job Openings Remains At Series' Low
12 Industrial Production In India Continues To Advance
12 Weekly Chain Store Sales Likely Suffered From Price Discounting
12 U.S. Weekly Gasoline Prices Move Higher
12 U.S. Trade Deficit Increases With Economic Recovery
11

French Industrial Output Recovers Lead By A Rebound In Investment Goods

11

Irish Industrial Production:Modern Vs Traditional Sectors

11

U.S. Consumer Credit Usage Decline Reaches Historic Proportion

08

OECD LEIs Are Surging Especially Strong Is The Euro-Area

08

U.S. December Payroll Decline Is Modest Disappointment; 2009 Is Weakest Year Since WWII

07

Euro-Nowhere Man Retail Sales In Europe Are Going Nowhere - But Not Very Fast

07

U.S. Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Nudge Higher
06

EMU Orders Take A Step Back

06

Challenger Indicates Further Improvement in the Labor Market
06

U.S. ISM Nonmanufacturing Index Improves To Break-Even
06

U.S. Vehicle Sales Improve At Yearend But For 2009 Were The Lowest In Twenty Seven Years
06

ADP Report: U.S. December Payroll Employment Decline Is Smallest Since March 2008
05

Weekly Chain Store Sales Improve Sharply
05

U.S. Pending Home Sales Rise Further
05

U.S. Weekly Gasoline Prices Move Higher
05

French Consumers Take A Step Back After Fourth Months of Improved Confidence
05

U.S. Factory Inventories & Shipments Increase Again
05

A Double Dip In Singapore's GDP?
04 Indonesia Avoids Recession
04

U.S. Construction Activity Falls Further
04

ISM Manufacturing Series Show Broad-Based Gains
04

Manufacturing Is Digging Out
December 2009
29

Retail Trade: Predictor Of Change In Total GDP?
29

Italian Business Confidence Advances...But Still Lags
28

Rising Exports Fuel Rise in Japanese Industrial Production
24

U.S. Durable Goods Orders Improvement Continues
24

U.S. Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Fall Back To New Low
23

Italy's Consumer Confidence Lifts Spirits For Christmas
23

Michigan Consumer Sentiment Increases Smartly
23

U.S. New Home Sales Fall Sharply
23

U.S. Disposable Personal Income & Spending Continue Firm
22

German Consumer Climate Cooling Slightly
22

FHFA Home Price Index Improves Slightly M/M But Greatly Y/Y
22

U.S. Existing Home Sales Improve Further To Highest Since 2007 
22

U.S. GDP Revised Downward: Domestic Demand & Inventories Are Shaved  
21

Japanese Trade Balance Improves
21

Chicago Fed Index Recovered Recent Declines To Best In Two Years
21

United States' Home Price Performance All Over The Map
17

UK Consumer Confidence Continues Backtrack
17 UK Retail Sales Take A Sett Back In November But Cling To Trend Rise
17 Philadelphia Fed Index Gains With Strength in Employment
17

U.S. Leading Economic Indicators Rise Again Signaling Positive Growth
17

U.S. Initial Jobless Insurance Claims Unexpectedly Rise To Highest In One Month
16

FOMC Notes Economic & Job Market Improvement But Leaves Rates Unchanged
16

Japan's Service Sector Shows Improvement
16

U.S. Housing Starts Improve Modestly
16

CPI's 0.4% Gain Is Fueled By Energy; Core Prices Are Unchanged
15

Factory Production Resumes Increase
15

German Investors A Little Less Optimistic
15

U.S. PPI Jumps As Fuel Costs Surge; Core Prices Remain Strong
14

A Pause In Economic Activity In The European Union
14

EMU MFG Progress Hits The Skids....
More Questions Arise In Japan Despite Improved Tankan
14

U.S. Business Inventories' Gain The First Since 2008
11 Michigan Consumer Sentiment Recoups Earlier Declines
11 UK PPI Rises In November Inflation’s Acceleration Is Clear, So Is The Policy Conundrum
11

U.S. Import Prices Jump As Oil Prices Surge 
11

U.S. Retail Sales Revive As Discretionary Spending Improves
10 U.S. Flow of Funds Indicates Expansion In Household Net-Worth To Highest In A Year
10 Japan’s Core Machinery Orders Dip; Overall Orders Rise
10

U.S. Trade Deficit Falls As Exports Jump
10 U.S. Weekly Initial Claims For Unemployment Insurance Retrace Prior Declines
9 JOLTS: U.S. Job Openings and Hiring Falls
9 UK Trade Deficit Widens....On Rising Exports And Imports
9 U.S. Weekly Mortgage Applications Jump As Rates Remain Low
9 Weekly Gasoline Prices Slide Sideways
8 German Industrial Production Falls In October
8 U.S. Small Business Optimism Stutters
8 U.S. Consumer Credit Outstanding Drops; Earlier Declines Shaved
7 Temp Hiring Bolsters Jobs & Portends Labor Market Improvement
7 German Manufacturing New Orders Decline In October
4 U.S. Factory Inventories Turn Up in October
4 U.S. Payrolls Decline Minimally and Unemployment Rate Falls Unexpectedly
3

3Q U.S. Worker Productivity Strength Revised Lower & Unit Costs Up
3

U.S. ISM Nonmanufacturing Index Slips Again
3 EMU PMI Rises Strongly In November 
3

U.S. Weekly Initial Claims For Jobless Insurance Fall Further
2 Challenger Layoffs Move To Lowest Since Late-2007
2 PPI Heats Up in Euro Area
2 U.S. Vehicle Sales Move Slightly Higher During November
2 ADP Report: U.S. Payroll Employment Decline Moderates Further
2 U.S. Construction Flat In October With Downward Revisions To Prior Months
1 U.S. Pending Home Sales Rise Further
1 German Unemployment Rate Declines  
1 German Retail Sales Rise But Amass No Momentum
1 Weekly Gasoline Prices Are Flat Again
1 ISM Factory Index Disappoints As Inventory Rebuilding Lags