Economy in Brief: 2008

Overall import prices were unchanged, as expected, last month after the revised 3.3% spurt during November. Petroleum prices, overall, eased 0.6% after the 12.7% November surge. Crude petroleum prices rose 0.6% (53.5% y/y) after a [...]

The Economy watcher indices and the Teikoku indices are all at relative low points in their respective ranges. The headline economy watchers index is in the bottom 5% of its five year range. Still Japanese authorities say that the [...]

The OECD trend restores leading indicators show a slowing is in progress across the OECD area. The OECD prefers to look at 6-month changes in its indicators; these are presented for four separate non-overlapping periods at the bottom [...]

The U.S. foreign trade deficit deepened to $63.1B in November from an unrevised $57.8B during October. Consensus expectations had been for a deficit of $60.0B. During the first eleven months of 2007 the deficit averaged $59.1B versus [...]

The U.S. foreign trade deficit deepened to $63.1B in November from an unrevised $57.8B during October. Consensus expectations had been for a deficit of $60.0B. During the first eleven months of 2007 the deficit averaged $59.1B versus [...]

French IP sank by more than excepted dropping by 1.5% in November. We can thank a French rail strike for some of this weakness. It’s one of the reasons the declines spread across sectors - the rail strike hit all sectors. But in the [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance unexpectedly fell 15,000 last week to 322,000. The 20,000 decline during the prior week was little revised. The latest level was the lowest in two months, although seasonal adjustment [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance unexpectedly fell 15,000 last week to 322,000. The 20,000 decline during the prior week was little revised. The latest level was the lowest in two months, although seasonal adjustment [...]