Economy in Brief: November 2007

U.S. import prices during October surged 1.8%, the largest one month gain since May of last year, as petroleum prices jumped. Consensus expectations had been for a 1.1% increase. Prices of petroleum products rose jumped 6.9% as Brent [...]

The September U.S. foreign trade deficit fell to $56.5B, the smallest since May 2005. The deficit for August was revised shallower from the initial report and the latest figure was a surprise to Consensus expectations for a deeper [...]

The September U.S. foreign trade deficit fell to $56.5B, the smallest since May 2005. The deficit for August was revised shallower from the initial report and the latest figure was a surprise to Consensus expectations for a deeper [...]

Imports fell by a sharp 2.6% as exports headed higher by 0.7% expanding the German trade surplus. Trends show that exports are still up strongly while imports are lagging with a 12.3% 3-month export growth rate matched against a 0.5% [...]

The economy watcher’s index is dropping rapidly and so is the future index. Each of them is at a relative low point in its five year range in the low 40th percentile of it. The weakness in these survey indexes is set in the table [...]

Japan’s machinery orders do show some improvement in the pattern for sequential growth rates for core orders. That series omits the most volatile components of the orders series. Still the current readings remain negative (m/m 3-mo, [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell further last week to 317,000 from 330,000 during the week prior. It was third consecutive weekly decline and to the lowest level since early last month. The prior week's level was revised [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance fell further last week to 317,000 from 330,000 during the week prior. It was third consecutive weekly decline and to the lowest level since early last month. The prior week's level was revised [...]