Economy in Brief

Improvement in the U.S. factory sector continued last month from its nadir reached twelve months earlier. The National Association of Purchasing Management reported that its December composite index showed unexpected strength with a [...]

The PMI indices for MFG from Markit show an ongoing improvement across the e-zone. The e-Zone index is still some 8.9 points from its cycle peak but it has risen by 18 points from its cycle low. Greece at 10.6 points above its cycle [...]

The PMI indices for MFG from Markit show an ongoing improvement across the e-zone. The e-Zone index is still some 8.9 points from its cycle peak but it has risen by 18 points from its cycle low. Greece at 10.6 points above its cycle [...]

Reports of retail trade in Spain, Sweden and Hong Kong were among today's statistical releases. Retail sales are sometimes good indicators of trends in total GDP. In order to test this hypothesis, we computed the correlation [...]

Italian business confidence is shooting up strongly but still clings to relatively weak absolute readings. The level of the current reading stands in the 52nd percentile of the range of values occupied since October of 1996. But by [...]

Italian business confidence is shooting up strongly but still clings to relatively weak absolute readings. The level of the current reading stands in the 52nd percentile of the range of values occupied since October of 1996. But by [...]

Industrial production in Japan was reported today to have increased 2.6% in November to 88.3 (2005=100). This was the ninth month in which production increased from the low of 69.5 reached in February of this year. It is, however, [...]

Industrial production in Japan was reported today to have increased 2.6% in November to 88.3 (2005=100). This was the ninth month in which production increased from the low of 69.5 reached in February of this year. It is, however, [...]