Recent Updates
- US: Consumer Sentiment (Jan-prelim), IP & Capacity Utilization (Dec)
- Consumer Sentiment (Jan-prelim)
- US: Industrial Production Detail (Dec)
- Canada: CPI (Dec), Intl Transactions in Securities (Nov)
- Canada Regional: CPI by Province (Dec)
- Germany: Hotel and Restaurant Turnover (Nov), Tax Revenues (Q3)
- Turkey: IIP, International Reserves, Foreign Trade Indexes (Nov)
- Mexico: Manufacturing Employment (Nov)
- Colombia: Manufacturing IP, Retail Sales (Nov)
- more updates...
Economy in Brief
Delay in Release
of Data for Construction, MSIO, Intl Trade, Wholesale Trade, Monthly Treasury, Retail Sales, Business Sales & Inventories, and Housing Starts Due to Lapse in Federal Government Funding.
U.K. Retail Sales Begin to Lose Momentum
U.K. retail sales fell by a sharp 1% in December...
Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index Rebounds; Pricing Pressure Eases
The Philadelphia Fed reported that its General Factory Sector Business Conditions Index increased to 17.0 during January...
U.S. Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Slip
Initial claims for jobless insurance eased to 213,000 (-2.6% y/y) during the week ended January 12...
Passenger Car Registrations Hold to Low Ground in Europe
Passenger car registrations in Europe fell on a year-over-year comparison for the fourth consecutive months in December...
by Tom Moeller April 15, 2005
Industrial production matched Consensus expectations and rose 0.3% in March following a downwardly revised 0.2% gain in February. The increase was due to cold weather which lifted utility output by 3.7% (5.0% y/y).
Factory sector output fell 0.1% (+4.2% y/y) for the first decline since September. Excluding a 0.9% (20.0% y/y) rise in high tech sector output, manufacturing production fell 0.2% (+3.1% y/y).
Motor vehicle & parts led output lower and fell 3.6% (+2.1% y/y). Excluding both high tech & motor vehicles factory in March, output ticked up 0.1% (3.2% y/y). Output of furniture was unchanged (-0.7% y/y) but clothing output fell 1.9% (-10.0% y/y). Machinery output rose 0.5% (7.3% y/y) and production of electrical equipment, appliances & components rose 0.4% (4.0% y/y).
Total capacity utilization rose to 79.4% as capacity grew 1.2% y/y. Factory sector utilization fell to 78.0% and capacity rose 1.3% y/y.
Yesterday's speech by Federal Reserve Board Governor Donald L. Kohn on the Economic Outlook can be found here.
| Production & Capacity | Mar | Feb | Y/Y | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production | 0.3% | 0.2% | 3.9% | 4.1% | -0.0% | -0.3% |
| Consumer Goods | -0.2% | 0.5% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 0.3% | 1.4% |
| Business Equipment | 0.2% | 0.2% | 8.7% | 9.5% | 1.2% | -7.9% |
| Capacity Utilization | 79.4% | 79.3% | 77.4% (03/04) | 78.1% | 75.5% | 75.3% |
