Japan's Tankan survey of large, medium-sized and small firms showed a drop in its bellwether large company index of manufacturers. That index fell to 12 in Q3 2015 from 15 in Q2. The index value of 12 is below the four-quarter average [...]
Introducing
Robert Brusca
in:Our Authors
Robert A. Brusca is Chief Economist of Fact and Opinion Economics, a consulting firm he founded in Manhattan. He has been an economist on Wall Street for over 25 years. He has visited central banking and large institutional clients in over 30 countries in his career as an economist. Mr. Brusca was a Divisional Research Chief at the Federal Reserve Bank of NY (Chief of the International Financial markets Division), a Fed Watcher at Irving Trust and Chief Economist at Nikko Securities International. He is widely quoted and appears in various media. Mr. Brusca holds an MA and Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University and a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan. His research pursues his strong interests in non aligned policy economics as well as international economics. FAO Economics’ research targets investors to assist them in making better investment decisions in stocks, bonds and in a variety of international assets. The company does not manage money and has no conflicts in giving economic advice.
Publications by Robert Brusca
Global| Oct 01 2015Japan's Tankan Survey Tails But Holds High
Europe gets another taste of deflation as its unemployment rate hangs high. European (EU) unemployment came in at 9.5% for the second consecutive month in August. In the EMU, the unemployment rate is lodged at a much higher level, at [...]
- Global| Sep 29 2015
EU Index Shows Surprising September Rise
The overall EU sentiment indices are moving higher year-over-year in the three largest EMU nations and for the EMU index itself. In September, the indices of the three largest EMU members also moved higher while the index for Spain, [...]
- Global| Sep 28 2015
Italian Confidence Makes Strong Gains; Strongest Level for Confidence since March 2002
Italian consumer confidence rose sharply to 112.7 in September from 109.3 in August. The monthly change in confidence marks a substantial rise that has been larger only 15 times in the last 248 months, making it a top 7% event. The [...]
- Global| Sep 25 2015
French Consumers Begin to Feel Better in September
French consumer sentiment increased to 97 in September from 94 in August, up from its 12-month average of 92. Still, the index sits only in the 50.2 percentile of its historic queue of data. That leaves it just a smidgen above its [...]
- Global| Sep 24 2015
German Ifo Moves Higher, Bucking Some Contrary Trends
The German Ifo index showed improvement in September in three of its four sector indices. Current conditions eroded, but expectations improved. The index had been expected to weaken in the month. Instead, the Ifo index rose. The [...]
- Global| Sep 23 2015
European PMIs Take a Step Back; In a Big Picture Sense PMIs Remain Flat
The private sector PMI headline for EMU stepped back to 53.9 in September from 54.3 in August. This leaves the headline index back at its July level. Both the manufacturing gauge and the services gauge stepped back with manufacturing [...]
- Global| Sep 22 2015
U.K. Industry Weakens in September
The U.K. industrial sector is showing signs of a slowdown. U.K. industry total orders fell to -7 in September from -1 in August. The reading is substantially weaker than its 12-month average which is also -1. In the historic sweep of [...]
- Global| Sep 21 2015
German PPI Trends Begin to Turn Lower Again
The chart displays the three key frequencies of growth I regularly calculate for the German PPI. It plots them and clearly reveals the last four cycles in German PPI pressure. The three-month percentage change leads the parade of [...]
- Global| Sep 18 2015
Italian Exports and Imports Slow As Global Theme of Weakness Plays Out
Italy's current account surplus shrank in July as exports and imports both fell. Declining trade flows may get greater scrutiny now that the U.S. Federal Reserve has put its rate hike plans on hold. Judging from market reactions, [...]
- Global| Sep 17 2015
Japan's Trade Erosion Abates Slightly in August
On a trend basis, Japan's exports are still stronger than its imports; thus, a move to surplus should still lie ahead for Japan. However, in the last few months, the import decline has abated (month-to-month growth) and imports have [...]
- Global| Sep 16 2015
EMU HICP Flirts with Danger Again
Mario Draghi warned that the EMU could face another period in which its inflation gauge, the HICP, declined. In August the monthly HICP fell by 0.1%, its second drop in three months. Now the year-over-year HICP gain is just 0.1%. The [...]
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