Economy in Brief

Chain store sales gave back last week virtually all of the prior week's gain according to the BTM-UBSW survey. The 0.5% w/w decline followed a 0.6% gain the week prior and continued the erratic sales performance of the last two [...]

The European Commission reported a slight improvement in the June measures of overall economic sentiment and confidence in the industrial and consumer sectors. The overall measure of economic sentiment was up 0.16% to 98.2 in June [...]

The Chicago Purchasing Manager’s Business Barometer Index improved for the second consecutive month in June to 52.5. The reading was right on Consensus estimates for 52.5. The improvement lagged the dramatic increase in the Empire [...]

Personal income rose an expected 0.3% last month. The gain followed an upwardly revised 0.2% increase in April. The PCE price deflator fell 0.1% in May for the second consecutive monthly decline. Less food and energy, the price [...]

Real GDP growth in 1Q03 was revised lower to 1.4% (AR) from the preliminary estimate of 1.9% growth. The downward revision was greater than Consensus expectations for 1.9% growth. Revisions to most components were minor including a [...]

Durable goods orders slipped 0.3% in May versus the Consensus expectation for a 1.0% rise. April figures were little revised. Sharp declines in orders for transportation equipment, off 1.6%, and electrical equipment, down 2.2%, were [...]

Contrary to consensus estimates of improvement, consumer confidence in Italy continued to fall in June and is currently at its lowest point since November, 1996. The seasonally adjusted index was 104.9 (1980=100), 0.66% below May and [...]

The Conference Board’s Index of Consumer Confidence was about flat in June. The index fell 0.1% m/m to 83.5. Consensus expectations were for a decline to 82.5. Since the low of this past March, Confidence has risen 36.0%. That rise is [...]