Recent Updates
- Canada: Wholesale Trade, MSIO (Nov)
- Canada Regional: Wholesale Trade, MSIO by Province (Nov)
- US: Philadelphia Fed Nonmfg Business Outlook Survey (Jan)
- Hungary: Wages (Nov), Fostered Workers, Social Security Balance (Dec), Maturity Profile of Central Government Debt (Q4)
- Ireland: PPI, WPI (Dec), Personal Bankruptcy (Q4)
- Mexico: Employment (Dec)
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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.S. Industrial Production Celebrates 100 Years With An Increase
In the 100th anniversary of it release, industrial production rose a greater-than-expected 0.3% (3.9% year-on-year) during December...
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...
by Tom Moeller May 31, 2005
The Chicago Purchasing Managers Business Barometer fell sharply in May. The 11.5 point decline to 54.1 was the steepest drop since 1974, nearly matched the record for a one month decline and pulled the index to its lowest since June 2003. Consensus expectations had been for a more moderate drop to 62.0.
During the last ten years there has been a 65% correlation between the level of Chicago PMI and the three month change in factory sector industrial production.
New orders and production posted the sharpest declines of the component series and the employment index fell to the lowest level since January. During the last ten years there has been a 75% correlation between the level of the employment index and the three month change in factory sector employment.
The index of prices paid fell again to the lowest level since September 2003. During the last ten years there has been an 86% correlation between the Chicago price index and the three month change in the "core" intermediate goods PPI.
| Chicago Purchasing Managers Index, SA | May | April | May '04 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Barometer | 54.1 | 65.6 | 66.1 | 62.9 | 54.6 | 52.8 |
| New Orders | 57.9 | 71.0 | 72.0 | 67.0 | 58.0 | 56.2 |
| Prices Paid | 54.3 | 66.1 | 79.5 | 80.1 | 55.8 | 56.9 |
