Introducing

Sandy Batten

Sandy Batten has more than 30 years of experience analyzing industrial economies and financial markets and a wide range of experience across the financial services sector, government, and academia.   Before joining Haver Analytics, Sandy was a Vice President and Senior Economist at Citibank; Senior Credit Market Analyst at CDC Investment Management, Managing Director at Bear Stearns, and Executive Director at JPMorgan.   In 2008, Sandy was named the most accurate US forecaster by the National Association for Business Economics. He is a member of the New York Forecasters Club, NABE, and the American Economic Association.   Prior to his time in the financial services sector, Sandy was a Research Officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Senior Staff Economist on the President’s Council of Economic Advisors, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the US Treasury, and Economist at the International Monetary Fund. Sandy has taught economics at St. Louis University, Denison University, and Muskingun College. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in a wide range of academic publications. He has a B.A. in economics from the University of Richmond and a M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from The Ohio State University.  

Publications by Sandy Batten

• Global| Nov 15 2017

  U.S. CPI Well Behaved in October But Increases Are Accelerating

  The Consumer Price Index edged up 0.1% m/m (2.0% y/y) in October, exactly in line with the market's expectation from the Action Economics survey. The overall index had jumped a much larger-than-expected 0.5% m/m in September. The core [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| Nov 03 2017

  U.S. Trade Deficit Widens in September; Exports Improve, Imports Rebound

  The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services widened to $43.5 billion in September from a slightly upwardly revised $42.8 billion shortfall in August. A $43.2 billion deficit had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| Nov 01 2017

  FOMC Leaves Rate Unchanged but December Hike Likely

  At today's meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, the target for the federal funds rate was left unchanged at 1.00%-1.25%. This was the third consecutive meeting at which the rate target had been held steady with the last rate [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| Oct 13 2017

  U.S. Business Inventories and Sales Both Rise in August

  Total business inventories increased 0.7% m/m (3.6% y/y) in August following an upwardly revised 0.3% m/m rise in July. Retail inventories also rose 0.7% m/m (3.7% y/y) in August after having been unchanged in July. Again, motor [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| Oct 06 2017

  U.S. Wholesale Inventories Rise in August, But Are Outpaced by Sales

  Inventories at the wholesale level rose 0.9% m/m (4.5% y/y) in August following unrevised 0.6% m/m increases in both July and June. Over the past three months, inventories are up at a 9.0% annual rate, up from 7.5% in July. Durable [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| Sep 15 2017

  PREVIOUS TT: U.S. Business Inventories Continue to Accumulate as Sales Firm

  Total business inventories increased 0.5% in June (2.8% y/y)............. Business sales increased 0.3% (4.3% y/y)............. The business sector inventory-to-sales ratio rose to 1.38.......... The manufacturing and trade data are [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| Sep 15 2017

  U.S. Business Inventories and Sales Rise the Same in July

  Total business inventories increased 0.2% in July (3.0% y/y) following a 0.5% m/m gain in June. Retail inventories slipped 0.1% m/m (3.4% y/y) in July after a 0.6% m/m jump in June. Motor vehicle and parts inventories were unchanged [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| Aug 17 2017

  Widespread Gain for U.S. Leading Economic Indicators in July

  The Conference Board's Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators increased 0.3% m/m (3.9% y/y) in July following an unrevised 0.6% m/m rise in June. A 0.3% monthly rise had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| Aug 15 2017

  Petroleum Prices Push Up U.S. Import Prices in July; Export Prices Propelled by Ag Prices

  After two consecutive monthly declines, import prices edged up 0.1% m/m (1.5% y/y) in July. They had fallen 0.2% m/m in June and 0.1% m/m in May. The July increase was exactly in line with the Action Economics Forecast Survey, which [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| Jul 14 2017

  U.S. CPI Again Weaker than Expected in June

  The Consumer Price Index continued to underperform market expectations in June. The headline index was unchanged from May (+1.6% y/y) against a market expectation (from the Action Economics Forecast Survey) of a 0.1% m/m increase. [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| Jun 14 2017

  Business Sales Unchanged While Inventories Slipped in April

  Business sales continued their modest cooldown in April after their stellar performance at the end of 2016. Sales were unchanged (5.6% y/y) in April from March following a downwardly revised 0.1% decline in March. For the major [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief
• Global| May 12 2017

  Business Sales Unchanged While Inventories Rise in March

  Business sales were unchanged (6.5% y/y) in March from February versus an unrevised 0.2% monthly gain in February. For the major sectors, retail sales edged up 0.1% m/m (4.9% y/y) in March (posting a more solid 0.3% m/m gain when [...]

  by:Sandy Batten

  |in:Economy in Brief