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 [...]
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 01 2008Both NTC/CIPS and CBI Index Show Withering UK MFG/Industrial Sector
- 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 [...]
- Global| Apr 23 2008
Euro Area Orders Stabilize: A Leading or Misleading Statistic?
What is for real and what is whistling past the graveyard? Tangled trends Euro Area orders are up in February, making it a two-month gain following a dive in December. Still the 3-month growth rate is negative for orders at a -3.9% [...]
- Global| Apr 23 2008
Italy’s Retail Sales Growth Remains Stunted
Italy’s retail sales rose by 0.3% in nominal terms in February. Nominal growth in retail sales shows some pick up as the overall three month growth rate has improved. But this is an inflation effect. When we deflate nominal retail [...]
- Global| Apr 23 2008
Belgian National Bank Index Signals Euro-Trouble Ahead
BNB index is a harbinger for the Euro-Area: The BNB index has plunged sharply in April. This early read on Euro Area health in April has been a GOOD SOLID barometer of what the larger and geographically linked key EMU economies will [...]
- Global| Apr 21 2008
Japan MFG and Services Indices Diverge
Japan’s MFG and services sectors diverged in February. The MFG index stands at its highest level since 1993 and in growth terms (chart) it is accelerating to a more midrange value. The services sector (Japan’s tertiary Index) has, [...]
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