Economy in Brief

At the end of 2007, new single family home sales dropped 4.7% to 604,000 after falling 12.6% m/m during November. A sales rate of 649,000 was the Consensus expectation for last month. The full year, however, contained much worse news. [...]

On the face of it money supply growth should not give us much cause to fear recession. The US and UK show slowdowns in high frequency growth rates of money supply but only the US three-month rate is a negative one; and three-month [...]

At the end of 2007, new single family home sales dropped 4.7% to 604,000 after falling 12.6% m/m during November. A sales rate of 649,000 was the Consensus expectation for last month. The full year, however, contained much worse news. [...]

France’s business climate indicator is steady this month at 109; over 12 months the index is rising at a steady 2.8% annual rate. Still there is no sign of advance in the index since March of 2007 when it has hovered between 108 and [...]

German import prices surged by 0.5%. But strip out energy and the rise is reduced to 0.1%; export prices excluding energy are flat, too. Year-over-year import prices excluding energy are up by 0.1%; export prices on that basis are up [...]

During December the number of mass layoff events rose another 7.8%, according to BLS data, and that countered a 1.3% November decline.These specific layoff incidents are called "mass layoffs" because they involve 50 or more initial [...]

During December the number of mass layoff events rose another 7.8%, according to BLS data, and that countered a 1.3% November decline.These specific layoff incidents are called "mass layoffs" because they involve 50 or more initial [...]

Italy shivers while the Euro Area overheats: What good can come of this? Not only is PM Prodi having a difficult time, but so is the Italian consumer. Whatever fate awaits Prodi, the consumer is already giving a vote of no-confidence [...]