Economy in Brief: February 2011

The Belgian Bank Index is still pushing higher in February. It has in this recovery cycle crossed over into positive territory for the first time after flirting with the possibility in earlier months. The BNB index stands in the 82nd [...]

GfK, one of the largest market research companies in the world, reported today that German "consumer sentiment remains on the ascent"--the overall indicator has been rising steadily since June 2010, when it was 3.5, to 5.8 in February [...]

Consumers must like the combination of low price inflation, low interest rates and an improved job market. The Conference Board reported that the February index of consumer confidence rose 8.6% to 70.4 from an upwardly revised 64.8 in [...]

During the last several months, home prices resumed the decline that was the norm during the prior three years. Since the April 2006 peak, prices have fallen 31.2%. For December, the seasonally adjusted Case-Shiller 20-City Home Price [...]

The factory sector's recovery built stronger legs this month, according to the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank's index of regional factory sector activity. The figure rose to 35.9 from an unrevised 19.3 in January and it was the [...]

Confidence, as measured by the IFO, is at an all time high among Germany's businessmen engaged in industry and trade. The February release shows that the balance of opinion on the Business Climate was 21.9% an increase of 1.9 [...]

The slack job market has caused participation in the labor force to fall to its lowest since 1984. Last year, of the eligible population of 237.8 million, the participation rate fell to 64.7%. Of the 85.5 million who weren't in the [...]

Retail sales really are strong - UK retail sales showed some power in January Sales spurted by 3% after dropping in December. UK inflation is running at about twice the BOE inflation ceiling, with such high inflation, nominal sales [...]