In recognition of ‘cinco de mayo’ we say ‘MUY FUERTE’ (or very strong) - The chart above displays the JP Morgan broad trade-weighted index value of the euro. In this framework we convert the index to operate as a PPP index, or index [...]
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| May 05 2008So How Strong is the Euro?
- Global| May 02 2008
The NTC MFG Index/Indices Continue to Drop
The NTC MFG indices fell on broad front in April. Their declines were steeper than they have been. Still only Germany, Greece and the Netherlands are in the top half of their respective percentile ranges. The EMU economy as a whole is [...]
- Global| May 02 2008
French PPI Sees Gathering Momentum
French producer prices again are showing over-the-top inflation. The three-month overall rate is a 4.2% pace but that represents some deceleration from 6.6% over six months and it is below the 5.5% Yr/Yr rate. Still, inflation is up [...]
- Global| May 02 2008
German Retail Sales Show Some Life in Q1
The original weakness in German ex-auto retail sales in February had already been revised up, leaving February in a small decline. Now March sales are flat. The strength in the quarter stems from the surge back in January. Real retail [...]
- Global| May 01 2008
Both NTC/CIPS and CBI Index Show Withering UK MFG/Industrial Sector
The NTC and CBI indices show that the UK MFG sector is on the decline. The CBI industrial total orders reading is placed in its range percentile at 55 the fifty-fifth percentile, nearly the same relative position as for the overall [...]
- Global| Apr 30 2008
EU Indices in Steady State Decline…
If they were ski runs, they’d be black diamonds. The EU sentiment index fell sharply in April with declines in all sectors and with all sector readings south of zero except services. Ironically the service sector is the weakest of the [...]
- Global| Apr 29 2008
Household Confidence in Near Free Fall in France
The INSEE household confidence reading is at its lowest mark since 1990. Living standards in the past and next 12-months are assessed as being in the bottom several percentage points of their range for the period. The same is true of [...]
- Global| Apr 29 2008
CBI Sales and Order Trends Weaken
The CBI survey shows sharp weakness on the part of consumers in April. Sales from one year ago register a -26 on this net balance scale. Orders are a -28.and sales for the time of year are assessed an even weaker looking -38. Indeed, [...]
- Global| Apr 28 2008
Italy's Biz Confidence Continues to Sink
Italy’s Business confidence index is in the bottom 30 percent of its range since 1999. Orders are in about the bottom 25th percentile of their range. Orders for consumer goods are in the bottom 15 percentile of their range. Investment [...]
- Global| Apr 28 2008
French Service Sector Outlook and Climate Gauges Slip
The French service sector climate indicator is down sharply in the current month form 104 to 102 after being as high as 109 in January to start the year. Service sector sentiment has been steadily eroding. The climate indicator is in [...]
- Global| Apr 25 2008
German Export and Import Inflation Trends Blunted in March
I don’t expect the ECB to declare inflation victory based on this German external price report. But, German ex energy prices are coalescing around the 2% level. That’s not headline inflation. And the result is for Germany not EMU and [...]
- Global| Apr 24 2008
IFO Weakness: A New Trend Lower or a ‘Mild’ Offset to a Spurious Jump?
Germany’s IFO index has dropped sharply in March to 102.4 from 104.8. Its current conditions index fell to 109.4 from 111.5. The April expectations index moved lower to 96.8 from 98.4. On a Yr/Yr basis the percentage declines in the [...]
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