Economy in Brief

The advance estimate of the U.S. trade deficit in goods grew to $$64.22 billion in March from $59.88 in February. A $53.6 billion deficit had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Exports of goods declined 6.7% m/m [...]

The advance estimate of the U.S. trade deficit in goods grew to $$64.22 billion in March from $59.88 in February. A $53.6 billion deficit had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Exports of goods declined 6.7% m/m [...]

• COVID-19 depresses business. • Outlook worsens. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported in its Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey for April that the Current General Business Activity Index weakened to a record low of -73.7 from [...]

Finland's consumer confidence index has short history, but in the graphic we overlay the longer-lived EU measure of confidence against the Finnish domestic measure and the sharp recent collapse in the recent index is starkly revealed. [...]

• COVID-19 depresses business. • Outlook worsens. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas reported in its Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey for April that the Current General Business Activity Index weakened to a record low of -73.7 from [...]

This is not snorkeling or even deep sea diving; it requires a bathyscaphe. The German IFO has sunk to new depths even after a substantial plunge a month ago. All of the rankings display severe weakness with the ongoing lone exception [...]

• Durable goods orders weaken 14.4% in March, the sharpest decline since August 2014. • Commercial aircraft orders plummet. • Inventories surge. Manufacturers' orders for durable goods fell 14.4% last month (-16.0% y/y) following a [...]

• Durable goods orders weaken 14.4% in March, the sharpest decline since August 2014. • Commercial aircraft orders plummet. • Inventories surge.