Economy in Brief: September 2020

This month the EU indexes for the EMU area rose to 91.1 from 87.5; another strong month-to-month gain. There were improvements in all sector segments month-to-month. With services making a very strong gain, notching a five-point (net [...]

• Goods trade deficit widened more than expected as both export & import growth remained firm. • Y/Y export deterioration continues to surpass imports. The advance estimate of the U.S. trade deficit in goods widened to $82.94 billion [...]

• Gasoline prices were unchanged. • Crude oil prices edged up. • Natural gas prices tumbled again. Regular gasoline prices were unchanged at $2.17 per gallon (-17.9% y/y) in the week ended September 28. Haver Analytics adjusts the [...]

• Pricing power strengthens. • Expectations continue to improve. The Dallas Federal Reserve reported in its Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey that the General Business Activity Index increased to 13.6% during September, only the [...]

Finland's EK sector survey shows a great deal of lingering weakness in Finland despite some clear signs of revival in progress. The diffusion data by sector rank retailing as the strongest with a September value of 7 followed by [...]

The surge in EMU money and credit growth is passing. Gobs of monetary stimulus and fiscal actions are past their peak at least for now and probably for good. Central banks and fiscal policy cannot keep dipping so deeply in the same [...]

• Core capital goods orders rise strongly. • Shipments also were firm, but inventories continued to run off. Manufacturers' orders for durable goods rose a modest 0.4% (-4.6% y/y) during August following an 11.7% jump in July, revised [...]

• Core capital goods orders rise strongly. • Shipments also were firm, but inventories continued to run off. Manufacturers' orders for durable goods rose a modest 0.4% (-4.6% y/y) during August following an 11.7% jump in July, revised [...]