Economy in Brief

The headline Final Demand Producer Price Index increased 0.6% during January (1.6% y/y) after a 0.2% December gain, revised from 0.3%. The rise was the largest since September 2012, and exceeded expectations for a 0.3% increase in the [...]

Japan's retail sales are lower by 1.2% month to month in December. However, their sequential rates of growth show an upswing is nonetheless in place from growth rates over 12-Mo to 6-Mo to 3-Mo. This steady expansion of the pace of [...]

The Industrial Materials Price Index from the Foundation for International Business and Economic Research (FIBER) increased 2.9% during the last four weeks, and has risen 23.9% during the last twelve months. This follows strength [...]

The U.S. Treasury Department reported that during January, the federal government ran a $51.3 billion budget surplus compared to a $55.2 billion surplus in January 2016. A $33.0 billion surplus had been expected in the Action [...]

In December, Italian and French industrial production went their separate ways, one up, the other down. But the sequential annualized growth rates from three-month to six-month to 12-month show output is expanding and accelerating in [...]

Import prices increased 0.4% (3.7% y/y) during January after a 0.5% December rise, revised from 0.4%. A 0.3% increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. These figures are not seasonally adjusted. Petroleum [...]

Japan's machinery orders fell by 3.1% in December while core orders rose by 6.7%. November has the growth rate 'signs' reversed with total orders up by 20.6% and core orders down by 5.1%. The monthly series is volatile. However, from [...]

Inventories at the wholesale level jumped another 1.0% (2.8% y/y) during December, the same as in November. The advance report indicated a 1.1% December increase. Inventories of durable goods increased 0.7% (0.8% y/y) after a 1.0% [...]