Economy in Brief: 2011

Japan's real GDP rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 6% in the third quarter, reflecting the recovery from the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 12, of this year. The level of GDP is now just below its pre [...]

Gross Domestic Product is the broadest measure of the economy's performance. Adjusted for prices, GDP bottomed in Q2'09 following a business cycle downturn that was the most severe since the Great Depression. Since its trough, GDP [...]

PPI Progress - UK PPI output prices continue to run hot but in the UK but they are losing some momentum. The 12-mo pace of 5.7% is dropping and the shorter sequential growth rates show that PPI momentum has been damped. Better still [...]

The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment for mid-November rose to 64.2 from 60.9 in October. The latest number was better than Consensus expectations for 61.0 and it was the third consecutive monthly rise. Consumers' [...]

U.S. import prices fell 0.6% last month after no change during September, revised from a 0.3% increase. Consensus expectations had been for no change during October. Year-to-year, higher oil prices and the lower value of the dollar [...]

The September foreign trade deficit fell to $43.1B from a revised $44.9B in August, initially reported as $45.6B. Expectations had been for $46.3B according to Action Economics. Exports increased 1.4% (15.9% y/y) after their 0.1% [...]

In a sign of modest labor market improvement, initial claims for jobless insurance fell last week to 390,000 from 400,000 (revised from 397,000) during the week prior. The latest figure compared to 400,000 expected in the Action [...]

Inventories at the wholesale level slipped 0.1% (+11.9% y/y) during September following a 0.1% August uptick. The decline was led by a 4.0% fall (+13.2% y/y) in petroleum. Less petroleum, inventories rose 0.1% (11.9%) as industry [...]