· EMU GDP performed slightly better than expected in 2010-Q1. GDP is now up by 0.6% Yr/Yr the first positive Yr/Yr result since the downturn began. Austria and Italy post the strongest Q/Q numbers in 2010-Q1. Germany and France show [...]
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 04 2010
GDP Edges Higher In EMU GDP Revision
Global| Jun 03 2010
EMU Retail Sales Tail Off Sharply
Euro-Area Retail sales broke off from their strong upswing and fell sharply in April. The 1.2% drop cut the Yr/Yr growth rate for sales to 1.0%. Meanwhile motor vehicle sales continued to plummet in the Zone and have fallen at a 22% [...]
Global| Jun 02 2010
Euro-Area PPI Takes Off Slowly I Turn... Err Scratch That
Producer price trends have been rising sharply in EMU over the past few months. The PPI has taken a decided and sharp turn for the worse. Prices are accelerating in two of the three main sectors of the PPI. Only consumer prices fail [...]
Global| Jun 01 2010
Market Indices For MFG Drop Sharply Off-Peak
The market MFG barometers for EMU fell across the bard in May. Only Ireland among the main reports showed a month-to-month boost and the EU’s UK edged higher. Greece the well-know troubled EMU ember shows what troubled straits it is [...]
Global| May 28 2010
UK Consumer Confidence Is Challenged By Electioneering
According to the Nationwide Building Society’s measure, U.K. consumer confidence fell in March by the most since July 2008 as the election due within weeks fueled Britons’ doubts about the economy. Small surprise that is: so much for [...]
Global| May 27 2010
Some Bad News From Europe…
The Insee index of household confidence has dropped again marking the fourth straight month of decline. This is not some garden variety slippage in confidence from France. The four month drop marks a cumulative drop of eight points in [...]
Global| May 26 2010
German Confidence Is Set Back Very Little By Greek Tragedy
GFK’s confidence measure for Germany edged lower in June as the ongoing Greek situation took a small toll on German optimism. Gfk’s consumer confidence figure for June slipped to 3.5, a decrease on May's revised 3.7, marking the end [...]
Global| May 25 2010
EMU Order Growth Rates Stay Strong In Manufacturing
EMU order surged in March climbing at a 5.2% month to month after rising by 1.9% M-o-M in February. The three months growth rate is at 24.5% up from 17.3% over six months and 19.2% over 12-months. Orders strength is being lead by [...]
Global| May 24 2010
Japan Sector Index Drops In March
After an encouraging spurt in January Japan’s overall sector index has fallen back for two straight months and is back barely above its level of December 2009. Only the industry index is up this month. The industrial index is up in 12 [...]
Global| May 20 2010
UK Trade Deficit Worsens As Exports Lag Imports
Orders growth has recovered substantially in Germany and in France. Despite the recovery in orders, with the rebounding rates of orders growth, the level of orders is still some 20% to 30% below their respective cycle highs for France [...]
Global| May 19 2010
Japan’s IP Growth Rates Level Out And Decay
Industrial output in Japan soared in March but could not stave off an erosion in the Yr/Yr rate of growth. Output was up by 1.2% m/m across the major sectors. But that followed a result in February that was less than stellar, [...]
Global| May 17 2010
UK CBI Trends Are Up
The UK CBI index improved sharply and much more sharply than expected in May. The orders index jumped from a -36 reading to -18, remaining negative but halving its negative reading. The result was completely unexpected. Export orders [...]
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