Nominal retail sales fell by 0.2% in June as inflation pushed ahead driving real retail sales to a 0.7% drop. Inflation adjusted sales have been dropping at an increasingly rapid rate. But, Yr/Yr sales growth is still positive. In 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| Jul 30 2008Japan’s Real Retail Sales Fall Sharply
- Global| Jul 29 2008
IFO Detail Shows Spreading Weakness
The IFO is showing more weakness in Germany. Today’s report provides more detail from its earlier release. The current situation index is still strong residing in the 70th percentile since March of 1992. But expectations are down to [...]
- Global| Jul 28 2008
Italy's Retail Sector Hits the Skids
Italy’s retail sector is in a bad way. Consumer sentiment ad retail spending usually mark one another pretty well. Right now both series are telling a dismal story about the Italian consumer. The recent drop-of in spending is severe, [...]
- Global| Jul 25 2008
Excluding Energy German Export and Import Prices Break Through 2% Mark
The German CPI ex-energy inflation rate is still very well-behaved with inflation on that score below 2% over 12-months and nearer to 1% over three- and six-months. For the PPI ex energy trends are worsening, however. Export and [...]
- Global| Jul 25 2008
France’s Insee Services Indicator Plunges as Weakness Spreads
France’s formerly stable service sector is weakening: The Insee indicator that was above its mean level just three short months ago is now falling sharply. The service sector barometer is now in the 37th percentile of its range with [...]
- Global| Jul 24 2008
The MFG and Services PMIs Simply are Dropping Rapidly
There is little let up in the pace of the drop in the Euro Area MFG and services PMIs. Indeed their rate of decline has picked up pace. The services PMI has been in existence for 31 months and it is at its lowest level since its [...]
- Global| Jul 23 2008
Euro Area Orders Drop Sharply in May
The domestic and foreign orders trend lines now both have discernable downtrends. Growth rate calculations over the key sequential periods also show that declines are becoming more intense in both sectors. Over three months, for [...]
- Global| Jul 23 2008
Euro Area Orders Drop Sharply inMay
The domestic and foreign orders trend lines now both have discernable downtrends. Growth rate calculations over the key sequential periods also show that declines are becoming more intense in both sectors. Over three months, for [...]
- Global| Jul 22 2008
Japan’s All-industries Index is Still Very Upbeat
Japan’s sector indices show that the main all-industry reading is up in May and stands strongly in the 95th percentile of its range. The construction index is off sharply and continues to be very weak. The table plots 12-month changes [...]
- Global| Jul 18 2008
French and Italian Orders Scream WEAKNESS!!
WEAKNESS!! French and Italian industrial orders fell sharply in May joining the chorus of Euro signals that are screaming ‘weakness!’ For each country both domestic and foreign orders fell sharply. Each country had posted an increase [...]
- Global| Jul 17 2008
Italy’s Trade Shows Deeper Deficit
Italy’s goods trade deficit emerged in May after April posted a surplus. The current deficit widened. Imports are now faltering with capital goods and transport categories showing outright declines Yr/Yr as domestic weakness takes its [...]
- Global| Jul 16 2008
Euro Area HICP Sees Core Decelerate
Although the ECB policy remains steadfastly fixed on the behavior of the HICP headline, it is the HICP core that is showing signs of behaving. The six month pace of the core at 2.3% is as low as it has been since Oct 2007 (eight [...]
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