The chart of the main NFIB survey is a telling graphic on the state of the economy. While the index reached its local low in August of 2006 and there is a sort of bounce in train since then (dead-cat bounce?), the index remains [...]
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 08 2007NFIB: It’s Weak, No FIB
- Global| May 04 2007
U.S. Job Growth: The Conundrum Deepens
Australia's balance of trade in goods and services moved further into deficit in March as exports declined and imports continued increasing. The overall deficit was A$1,622 million, up from A$728 million in February (seasonally [...]
- Global| May 03 2007
Nonmanufacturing ISM Shows Some Life
The Nonmanufacturing ISM rose smartly to 56 from 52.4. Its employment gauge rose to 51.9 from 50.8. Prices continue to be under upward pressures. The details of the ISM report shows that the main measures of the survey are just below [...]
- Global| May 03 2007
Upward Surprise on U.S. Productivity
Productivity mustered a larger gain than we had expected in Q1 but the trends still show productivity is on a deteriorating trend. Just as a refresher, recall that productivity is important because it governs the pace at which the [...]
- Global| May 03 2007
Upward Surprise on U.S. Productivity
Productivity mustered a larger gain than we had expected in Q1 but the trends still show productivity is on a deteriorating trend. Just as a refresher, recall that productivity is important because it governs the pace at which the [...]
Factory orders struck back in March with an upward revision to durable goods orders and more strength in nondurables than anyone expected. While the three-month growth rate for orders is still severely negative, the outturn for the [...]
Factory orders struck back in March with an upward revision to durable goods orders and more strength in nondurables than anyone expected. While the three-month growth rate for orders is still severely negative, the outturn for the [...]
- Global| May 01 2007
ISM: Keeping up with the Joneses…
Periodically I run the table below just to see if people are awake. But seriously The table contains a wealth of data on the ISM and what it is doing. The percentile and % of average columns at the right of the table put the raw [...]
- Global| May 01 2007
ISM: Keeping up with the Joneses…
Periodically I run the table below just to see if people are awake. But seriously The table contains a wealth of data on the ISM and what it is doing. The percentile and % of average columns at the right of the table put the raw [...]
- Global| Apr 30 2007
U.S. Construction Shows a Brighter Side
Real construction spending was up by 0.2% in March. Nominal construction spending was revised from a weak 0.3% in February to 1.5% gain. As a result construction trends are looking a lot better. Even the drain to GDP from residential [...]
- Global| Apr 30 2007
Chicago Index Comes Out of the Stratosphere
The Chicago Fed regional activity index fell sharply from 61.7 to 52.9 in April. At 52.9 the index is below its median value of 54.7 since 1968. Orders are low by comparison with their historic median. Production is, however, quite [...]
- Global| Apr 30 2007
US Consumer Spending Flounders in March but Trend Still Mostly Firm
The trend to spend took a hit in March but the quarter was still strong for the consumer, as we already say in the GDP report. Three-month trends show us that spending is cooling to a 2.2% pace led by a slowdown in nondurable goods [...]
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