Global| Jan 16 2007Empire State Index Dropped Sharply
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
The January index of manufacturing activity in New York State softened considerably. The Index of General Business Conditions fell 13.06 points, the second down month, to 9.13. That was the lowest level since June 2003. Consensus [...]
The January index of manufacturing activity in New York State softened considerably. The Index of General Business Conditions fell 13.06 points, the second down month, to 9.13. That was the lowest level since June 2003. Consensus expectations for the Empire State index had been for a more moderate decline to 19.5. The figures are reported by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Since the series' inception in 2001 there has been a 75% correlation between the index level and the three month change in U.S. factory sector industrial production.
The indexes for new orders halved to 10.26, the lowest level since 2003, while the indexes for employment and shipments also fell considerably. The indexes for inventories and delivery times also fell sharply.
Like the Philadelphia Fed Index of General Business Conditions, the Empire State Business Conditions Index reflects answers to an independent survey question; it is not a weighted combination of the components.
Pricing pressure improved moderately to the highest level since last September. The 7.02 rise in the prices paid index recovered all of the prior month's decline. Since 2001 there has been an 88% correlation between the index of prices paid and the three month change in the core intermediate materials PPI.
The Empire State index of expected business conditions in six months also fell sharply to the lowest level since last May. The index of expected new orders collapsed to the lowest since March 2006.
The Empire State Manufacturing Survey is a monthly survey of manufacturers in New York State conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Participants from across the state in a variety of industries respond to a questionnaire and report the change in a variety of indicators from the previous month. Respondents also state the likely direction of these same indicators six months ahead. April 2002 is the first report, although survey data date back to July 2001.
For more on the Empire State Manufacturing Survey, including methodologies and the latest report, click here.
| Empire State Manufacturing Survey | January | December | Jan. '06 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business Conditions (diffusion index) | 9.13 | 22.19 | 20.28 | 20.33 | 15.62 | 28.70 |
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
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