Economy in Brief: 2008

U.S. real GDP growth during 4Q '07 was unrevised, as expected, at 0.6% (AR). Growth during the last two quarters was down sharply from an average gain during the prior two periods of 4.4%. Reported for the first time were corporate [...]

U.S. real GDP growth during 4Q '07 was unrevised, as expected, at 0.6% (AR). Growth during the last two quarters was down sharply from an average gain during the prior two periods of 4.4%. Reported for the first time were corporate [...]

The chart on the left shows that price trends continue to press higher in France but the production trend is sharply lower. For total industry we find similar results to those in manufacturing. The recent trend of production at -11 is [...]

Italy’s Business confidence gauge from ISAE edged lower in March to 89 from 89.6 in February. The pace of its decline, however, seems to have slowed (see the blue line in accompanying chart). Overall confidence is not in terrible [...]

The IFO headline index rose to 104.08 in March from 103.1 in February. This rise marks the third straight increase from a low of 103 in December 2007. It comes at a time that the euro is moving relentlessly higher and policymakers are [...]

It may not be resiliency as much as volatility as the rise in January EMU orders still shows growth rates steadily declining from 12 months to 6 months to 3 months. In the current quarter despite the bump up in January orders are only [...]

New single family home sales fell 1.8% during February to 590,000 after a 1.6% January decline that was slightly less than reported initially. The decline dropped sales to the lowest level since 1995 and they were down 57.5% since the [...]

New orders for durable manufactured goods fell 1.7% last month. During January orders declined 4.7% and that was slightly less severe than originally reported. Consensus expectations had been for a slight uptick in February orders. [...]