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Economy in Brief
German PPI Rises at Nine-Month High Pace
The German PPI gained 0.2% in June on the heels of a 0.6% rise in May...
U.S. Leading Economic Indicators Improve
The Conference Board's Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators increased 0.5% (5.8% y/y) during June...
Philadelphia Fed Factory Conditions Recover; Prices Surge
The Philadelphia Fed reported that its General Factory Sector Business Conditions Index rebounded to 25.7 during July...
U.S. Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims Hit Lowest Since 1969
Initial claims for unemployment insurance dropped to 207,000 during the week ended July 14...
Japan's Trade Deficit Swings Back to Surplus (Small Surplus)
Japan's early June trade results show a goods trade position having swung back to surplus in June from deficit in May...
by Tom Moeller November 26, 2007
The National Activity Index (CFNAI) from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago during October ran negative for the third consecutive month at -0.73. It was the eight month in the last tenthat the index ran negative and it landed the three month moving average at its lowest level (-0.56) since 2003.
The Chicago Fed indicated that three of the four broad categories of indicators—employment, production, and consumption and housing—made negative contributions to the index.
A zero value of the CFNAI indicates that the economy is expanding at its historical trend rate of growth and during the last twenty years there has been a 68% correlation between the level of the CFNAI and q/q growth in real GDP.
The CFNAI is a weighted average of 85 indicators of economic activity. The indicators reflect activity in the following categories: production and income, the labor market, personal consumption and housing, manufacturing and trade sales, and inventories & orders.
The complete CFNAI report is available here.
| Chicago Fed | October | September | Oct. '06 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFNAI | -0.73 | -0.30 | -0.43 | 0.03 | 0.28 | 0.32 |
