Economy in Brief: April 2009

The S&P/Case-Shiller 20 Home Price Composite Index fell 1.9% during February and the decline lowered prices by 18.6% during the last twelve months and by 29.9% since their peak in May 2006. The series dates back only to 2000 and the [...]

The IFO index in German rose in April sparking some optimism that the index has made its financial cycle low. Sectors are improving across the board. MFG improved forma diffusion reading of -42.9 to -38. Wholesaling improved to -30.6 [...]

The consumer confidence reading for Italy has been weak in this cycle but not quite as weak as it was in the previous two downturns in the early 1980s and early 1990s. Despite the bad press this business cycle keeps getting, in Italy [...]

During the past year, the misery index has fallen sharply as a result of the decline in energy prices which have offset the rise in the unemployment rate. During the last three months the decline stalled, however, as the decline in [...]

During the past year, the misery index has fallen sharply as a result of the decline in energy prices which have offset the rise in the unemployment rate. During the last three months the decline stalled, however, as the decline in [...]

Sales of new single-family homes showed signs of forming a bottom after having declined by more than three-quarters since 2005. Sales during March slipped just 0.4% to 356,000 units after an upwardly revised 8.2% February increase. [...]

There seems to be no letup in the factory sector's distress. That's the indication from a 0.8% slip in new orders for durable goods last month. While the magnitude of the slip was a positive surprise versus Consensus expectations for [...]

There seems to be no letup in the factory sector's distress. That's the indication from a 0.8% slip in new orders for durable goods last month. While the magnitude of the slip was a positive surprise versus Consensus expectations for [...]