The consumer still is in a mood to spend. Chain store sales rose 3.0% last week (3.2% y/y) and more-than-recovered the prior week's decline. The increase lifted February sales so far by 0.8% versus January when sales fell 3.3% m/m. [...]
- Global| Feb 22 2012
U.S. Chain Store Sales Show More Life
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Global| Feb 22 2012
U.S. Energy Prices Are Driven Higher
Tensions in the Mideast are having a further effect driving energy prices upward. The price for a barrel of light sweet crude oil jumped last week to $101.80 and remained up sharply from $79.71, the average during the first week of [...]
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes edged up 0.4% (+9.1% y/y) in January to a 4.920M annual rate. December's sales were revised downward slightly from 4.94M to 4.90M, representing a decrease of [...]
- Global| Feb 21 2012
Thailand: The Floods and the Fourth Quarter GDP
The devastating floods in Thailand towards the end of last year led to an 11% drop in the fourth quarter GDP, by far the largest quarterly drop in real GDP on record. The dramatic fall is depicted in the first chart. All facets of the [...]
- Global| Feb 21 2012
U.S. Chicago Fed Index Is Again Positive
The January National Activity Index (CFNAI) from the Chicago Federal Reserve provides another sign of improving economic momentum. The index slipped to 0.22 from 0.54 in December, which was revised up from 0.17. However, the three- [...]
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Global| Feb 20 2012
Japan's Trade Deficit -- The Bank of Japan to the Rescue
Japan recorded a trade deficit of 2,496 billion yen ($19.8 billion at today's exchange rate of 79.44 yen to the dollar) in 2011, the first annual deficit since 1980. Trade continued to decline and, in January, Japan recorded the [...]
- Global| Feb 17 2012
U.S. Leading Indicators Point Toward Continued Recovery
The Conference Board reported that the Leading Economic Indicator index gained 0.4% during January following a revised 0.5% December rise, last month reported as 0.4%. A 0.5% increase had been expected. The latest rise pulled the six- [...]
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
- Global| Feb 17 2012
U.S. CPI Picks Up
Consumer prices rose during January at their quickest pace in four months. The CPI increased 0.2% after being unchanged in December. A 0.3% gain had been the Consensus expectation. Figures back to 2007 were revised due to new seasonal [...]
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
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