Italy's consumer confidence looks like it is about plunge right off the chart. The confidence measure has dropped by over one point in June and is at a new all-time low. And as we peruse the components they are disaster-struck. The [...]
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| Jun 21 2012EMU PMI Decline Slows but EMU Problems Remain Deeply Ingrained
The Markit PMI flash readings for June offer little in the way of solace. The MFG reading fell while the service sector reading perked up ever so slightly. Positioned in their respective high-low ranges, the MFG index stands in the [...]
- Global| Jun 20 2012
Italian and French Orders Go Different Ways
While there seems to be more anxiety about the Euro-Area it is far from clear what is going on. Orders trends for Italy and France are undergoing a major divergence. Orders for Italy in April are falling and are lower over three [...]
- Global| Jun 15 2012
EMU Surplus Rises as Flow Growth Slows
Growth slowdowns in EMU are choking off imports faster than exports are being slowed to outside the region. Over three months exports are weak on broad based weakness. But for imports the weakness stretches back over a year. [...]
- Global| Jun 14 2012
Japan's IP Disappoints
Japan's IP fell by 0.2% in April after surging by 1.3% in March. The industrial production growth rates have been progressively diminishing over more recent periods. Only transportation after slowing from an unsustainably strong pace [...]
- Global| Jun 13 2012
Euro-Area Sectors on Same Downtrend
EMU IP fell by 1.7% in April after rising by 1.1% in March. Over three months all the major IP categories show negative growth rates. Of the eight EU/EMU nations in the table six show decline in IP over three-months. Over six months [...]
- Global| Jun 08 2012
French Biz Confidence Drops
The Euro-Area may be heading for the final summer of its discontent. Pictured above we show deteriorating French business confidence, as depicted in the survey from the Bank of France. The Bank of France also has formed a new outlook [...]
- Global| Jun 07 2012
UK Growth Holds up in the Services Sector
In May only the Italian and UK services sectors did not deteriorate. Overall EMU services edged lower and Germany’s sector weakened. The UK services sector evaluated in its historic range in terms of its own relative standing is the [...]
- Global| Jun 06 2012
German IP Can You Spot the Trend?
The picture for German industrial production is now so clear and so obvious the only uncertainty is about the future pace and how long this ramp-down will continue. Output of consumer goods is unraveling at an unnerving pace despite [...]
- Global| Jun 01 2012
Markit MFG PMI Index Weaken
The table above focuses on changes in the PMI indices for a number of key EMU and EU members. In May only Italy, Greece and Ireland did not register drops in their respective MFG PMI gauges. Over three months the EMU MFG PMI is lower [...]
- Global| May 31 2012
German Retail Sales Turn Sharply Higher
One again Germany is distancing itself from the pack. Its retail sales are accelerating and its unemployment rate in May has fallen to its lowest rate in two decades. Meanwhile retail sales elsewhere in the Zone are limping and [...]
- Global| May 31 2012
German Retail Sales Turn Sharply Higher
One again Germany is distancing itself from the pack. Its retail sales are accelerating and its unemployment rate in May has fallen to its lowest rate in two decades. Meanwhile retail sales elsewhere in the Zone are limping and [...]
- of365Go to 250 page