Economy in Brief

The Leading Index of the Major 7 OECD economies fell for the third straight month, off 0.5%, the declines growing larger each month. The drop lowered the six month growth rate in the index to a negative 1.6%, the weakest in two years. [...]

Total Industrial production in Ireland rose 2.9% in April from March while production in manufacturing rose 4.6%. In addition to the usual industry and market sector breakdowns of total production, Ireland also classifies production [...]

The U.S. federal government's budget deficit during the first eight months of FY 2005 continued to shrink versus FY 2004. Red ink of $272.2B was nearly one quarter lower than the $346.3B during the prior fiscal year and was the [...]

The U.S. federal government's budget deficit during the first eight months of FY 2005 continued to shrink versus FY 2004. Red ink of $272.2B was nearly one quarter lower than the $346.3B during the prior fiscal year and was the [...]

Japan's Ministry of Finance (MoF) has reorganized its data on the purchase and sales of foreign securities by Japanese investors and the similar data on foreign investment in Japanese securities. The new data began this past January [...]

Import prices fell 1.3% last month after an upwardly revised 1.2% April surge. Consensus expectations had been for a 0.4% decline. Petroleum prices slumped 6.5% in May and were the source of April's upward revision. In June, crude oil [...]

The U.S. foreign trade deficit deepened in April to $57.0B and reversed about half of the prior month's m/m improvement which was revised. Consensus expectations had been for a deficit of $58.0B. Total exports doubled the prior [...]

The U.S. foreign trade deficit deepened in April to $57.0B and reversed about half of the prior month's m/m improvement which was revised. Consensus expectations had been for a deficit of $58.0B. Total exports doubled the prior [...]