Japan's Tankan reading in 2013Q1 for manufacturers rose to -8 from -12 in Q4. This was just short of expectations that a -7 reading would emerge. Non-MFG improved to +6 from +4. The readings are still weak. The MFG survey stands at [...]
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| Apr 01 2013Japan's Tankan Improves but is Short of Expectations
- Global| Mar 28 2013
Money and Credit Trends Disappoint
Money and credit growth in the European Monetary Union continue to be disappointing. Money supply growth over 12 months is at a 4.3% annual rate while over three months it has slipped to a 3.5% annual rate. On unchanged velocity it is [...]
- Global| Mar 27 2013
EU Index Drops Off in March
The EU Commission index for the European Union fell from a level of 92 in February to 91.4 in March 2013. The industrial sector index fell to a net reading of -11.8 from -10.9. Consumer confidence was unchanged at -21.6. The retailing [...]
- Global| Mar 26 2013
French Consumer is Still Flat
France's household confidence according to the INSEE statistical agency fell by two points in March to a level of 84 from a level of 86 in February. At its March level confidence stands at about the 7th percentile in its historic [...]
- Global| Mar 25 2013
Italy Continues to Crumble. Cyprus Down; Italy Next?
Consumer Confidence in Italy sees handwriting on the wall - Italy's consumer confidence measure in March as measured by ISAE, the Italian statistical agency, shows a drop in the reading to 85.2 from 86.0 in February. January had [...]
- Global| Mar 25 2013
German IFO turns Iffy
Germany's widely respected IFO business climate index turned slightly lower unexpectedly in March. Rising confidence abated, business expectations took a small setback and the climate cooled. The table chronicles a sector diffusion [...]
- Global| Mar 21 2013
Europe's PMIs Sag as Lift Off is Turned Back - How Bad is it?
The EMU PMIs for March have turned lower, after a short hopeful push higher. The services sector is pretty much without upward momentum as the chart plainly shows. Its recent bump up is really nothing more than that, a bump. But even [...]
- Global| Mar 19 2013
Zew Index Rises Again in Germany
Germany's Zew index which surveys the assessments of select financial experts in Germany continued to rise in March. This Zew expectations index rose to 48.5 in March from 48.2 in February. While continuing a series of gains, the [...]
- Global| Mar 18 2013
E-Zone Trade Surplus Shrinks, Will Europe Shrink Too? Does Cyprus Matter?
Trade trends for EMU - The EMU trade surplus shrank in January as imports rose sharply month-to-month and as exports posted some growth as well. While exports are showing some sign of revival, the three-month rate of growth is only [...]
- Global| Mar 15 2013
EMU Inflation Steadies Too Bad the EU and Its Politics Won't
The accompanying chart shows the incredible impact of the ongoing austerity programs in Europe. In high-inflation Italy the inflation rate has plunged. In low-inflation Germany inflation rate has continued to work lower. The current [...]
- Global| Mar 14 2013
EURO REALITY: Jobs Situation Worsens in EMU
European employment trends show that employment in the Zone is at a seven year low. Even with stagnant population growth this is not a good development. Over the last year the unemployment rate for the Zone has gone up by 0.7 [...]
- Global| Mar 13 2013
IP Slows Its Growth in EMU
Manufacturing industrial production fell by 0.6% in January. The drop follows a gain of 1.1% in December which follows a 0.8% drop in November. Although manufacturing production is declining over all horizons its pace of decline seems [...]
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