The OECD Leading indicators show weakness on a broad scale especially when viewed in their preferred habitat as six month percentage changes. On that basis, however, Japan is showing some more hopeful readings (increases!) even as [...]
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 11 2008OECD LEIs Show Continued Slowdown Signal
- Global| Apr 10 2008
French and Italian IP: Both Strong in 2008-Q1
France and Italy often put their respective industrial sectors on a common trend. Although French IP has been expanding from mid 2006 to late 2007, Italy’s IP was declining and losing momentum in that period. However from late 2007 [...]
- Global| Apr 09 2008
German Trade Picture Produces a Higher Surplus on Weak Imports
The German trade picture shows a month-to-month slowing imports and flat exports. The slowdown in both the flows may be just monthly volatility or something more ominous. So far Europeans have remained up beat on their economic [...]
- Global| Apr 09 2008
UK Output: Suddenly on the Mend
The sequential growth rates for January tell the story compared to their February counterparts: In January year/eayr output growth was 0.7% sliding to an annual rate of 0.6% over six months and to a pace of 0.4% over three months. UK [...]
- Global| Apr 04 2008
German Orders Fall in January and February - Is Euro to Blame?
German foreign orders is a very volatile series – even when expressed as Yr/Yr gains. While both the domestic and foreign orders series are ragged, each shows a tendency for orders growth to decelerate (see graph). Foreign orders are [...]
- Global| Apr 04 2008
German Orders Fall in January andFebruary - Is Euro to Blame?
German foreign orders is a very volatile series – even when expressed as Yr/Yr gains. While both the domestic and foreign orders series are ragged, each shows a tendency for orders growth to decelerate (see graph). Foreign orders are [...]
- Global| Apr 03 2008
UK Service Sector Takes a Hit in March
The UK service sector index for March is a fresh release and it shows a drop in the index to 52.11 from 54.05 in February. At that level the service sector index lies in the 33rd percentile of its range of values since 1995. The MFG [...]
- Global| Apr 03 2008
European Consumer Spending Weakens in February
Retail sales are clearly damaged goods in the Euro Area. The drop in February sales was not expected. Two months into the new quarter retail sales volume growth is dead flat. Trend spending growth shows all negative numbers but the [...]
- Global| Apr 02 2008
EMU PPI Trends Press Higher…
PPI trends are decidedly poor in the Euro Area. The core PPI excluding energy is on the rise with its three-month pace at 5.1% up from 3.9% over six months and from 3.6% over 12 months. This sort of acceleration in the ex-energy rate [...]
- Global| Apr 01 2008
European Economic Data Hits Blow Hot and Cold: This Time Cold: German Retail Sales
While German unemployment fell more than expected in March there has been no relief to German retailers or by association consumers. The growth rate series in the chart is remarkable for its tranquility. German real retail sales are [...]
- Global| Mar 28 2008
Japan’s Inflation Rate Rises but ‘Core’ Still Below Zero Y/Y
Japan has been gradually making progress toward ridding itself of its chronic deflation. Headline inflation now has turned positive year-over-year and is positive over three months as well as over the six-month horizon. The 12-month [...]
- Global| Mar 27 2008
Japan Retail Sales Show Some Life in January and Give it Back in February
Japanese retail sales strengthened late in 2007 but are giving those gains back in Q1 2008. Inflation adjusted retail sales fell by 1% in February 2008, unwinding the 0.8% gain in January. In the quarter-to-date real retail sales are [...]
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