Recent Updates
- Thailand: Bangkok Property Transferred (Nov)
- UK: Rightmove House Price Index Press (Jan), LSL ACAD House Price Indexes (Dec)
- Japan: Government Bond Trading Volume by Category of Investors (Dec)
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- Hong Kong: Centa City Index (Nov)
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- 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 May 4, 2005
Sales of light vehicles in April managed to rise 3.7% versus March despite a meager 1.6% gain in sales of light trucks. According to Autodata Corporation total light vehicle sales rose to 17.46M.
Gasoline prices averaged a record $2.24 per gallon last month, up 25% versus a year earlier. In May, gasoline have backed off somewhat from last month's weekly high of $2.28 but the gain versus last year still is 21%.
The rise in sales of light trucks to 9.32M left the average of sales so far this year down 3.5% versus 9.06M during all of 2004. Sales of domestically made trucks rose 1.0% m/m (0.4% y/y) but sales of imported trucks jumped 5.6% (8.4% y/y).
Total auto sales rose 6.1% last month and the gain pulled the average level this year up 2.1% versus last.
Imports' share of the US market for new vehicles rose to 20.6% in April and has averaged 20.2% this year versus 19.9% in 2004.
| Light Vehicle Sales (SAAR, Mil. Units) | April | March | Y/Y | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 17.46 | 16.85 | 5.0% | 16.88 | 16.63 | 16.81 |
| Autos | 8.14 | 7.68 | 9.6% | 7.49 | 7.62 | 8.07 |
| Trucks | 9.32 | 9.17 | 1.4% | 9.39 | 9.01 | 8.74 |
