Economy in Brief: February 2017

Both the U.S. inflation target rate (PCE) and the EMU target rate (HICP) are showing strong moves higher. Clearly inflation is on the rise...or is it really that simple? My prevarication in the face this quite overwhelming chart has [...]

The manufacturing and service sectors both are showing lift in the Markit PMI framework in February. Manufacturing has been surging bit longer but with its strength this month the services sector has caught up. The diffusion values [...]

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Nonmanufacturing Business Index of current conditions in February rose to 38.0 from 33.3 during January. It was the highest level since June 2015. Forty-four percent of respondents reported [...]

Germany leads the surplus 'parade of shame' Germany, the largest EMU economy, has run nothing but current account surpluses since July 2001 with only two monthly exceptions. That is 183 months of surplus vs. only two months of deficit [...]

The Conference Board's Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators increased 0.6% during January (2.5% y/y) following an unrevised 0.5% December gain. Earlier figures were revised slightly higher. A 0.4% increase had been expected [...]

Initial claims for unemployment insurance increased to 239,000 (-8.1% y/y) during the week ended February 11 from unrevised claims of 234,000 in the prior week. The four-week moving average of claims rose to 245,250, still near the [...]

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve reported that its General Factory Sector Business Conditions Index jumped to 43.3 during February from January's 23.6. It was the highest level since January 1984. The latest monthly reading compared [...]

European car registration rose 4.1% in January, building on a small gain registered in December. Registrations as well as the three-month moving average of registrations are showing strong, accelerating gains from 12-month to six- [...]