Economy in Brief

For the full quarter total German IP is up by 0.3%. Construction is off by 31% at an annual rate in Q2, accounting for much of the drag. But MFG is up by 0.8% roughly the same as for consumer goods, intermediate goods and capital [...]

German new orders for manufacturing in nominal terms rose 4.65% in June from May. This was the largest month to month rise since December, 2004. The rise was due almost entirely to a rise in foreign orders, which rose 8.90% from May [...]

For all of the concern about rising prices that recently has been expressed in Washington by the Federal Reserve Board, the most recent price trends are quite favorable. That's even excluding the recent decline in gasoline prices As [...]

Year-over-year and six-month trends in UK IP are steady at a pacifistic 1%. But over the past three months UK IP has now accelerated strongly to a pace of just under 4% (at 3.6%). UK IP is up strongly in Q2 (see end of the table). The [...]

Unlike the strength in UK IP in June or the sharp rise in orders in Germany, Italy’s MFG sector is showing a broad-based slowing. Italy’s three-month growth rates by sector tell the story of a slowdown across the board. Overall IP [...]

German new orders for manufacturing in nominal terms rose 4.65% in June from May. This was the largest month to month rise since December, 2004. The rise was due almost entirely to a rise in foreign orders, which rose 8.90% from May [...]

Higher crude oil prices were a contributing factor in the recent stock price gyrations, as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) looked to be approaching $80/barrel. The high spot price came Tuesday, July 31, at $78.22; by yesterday, it had [...]

Service sector in clear slow down as the index drops from its peak. The slowdown in the services sector indicated by the NTC service sector index is, in its character, much like that in the MFG sector with only some small shifts in [...]