Economy in Brief: 2007

For the full quarter total German IP is up by 0.3%. Construction is off by 31% at an annual rate in Q2, accounting for much of the drag. But MFG is up by 0.8% roughly the same as for consumer goods, intermediate goods and capital [...]

Chain store sales last week rebounded a strong 1.1% after the 0.2% decline during the prior week, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)-UBS.

Growth in non-farm labor productivity of 1.8% last quarter fell a bit short of Consensus forecasts for a 2.1% increase but it was the fastest since a 2.5% rise during 1Q06. The gain was up from the revised 0.7% increase during the [...]

For the full quarter total German IP is up by 0.3%. Construction is off by 31% at an annual rate in Q2, accounting for much of the drag. But MFG is up by 0.8% roughly the same as for consumer goods, intermediate goods and capital [...]

German new orders for manufacturing in nominal terms rose 4.65% in June from May. This was the largest month to month rise since December, 2004. The rise was due almost entirely to a rise in foreign orders, which rose 8.90% from May [...]

For all of the concern about rising prices that recently has been expressed in Washington by the Federal Reserve Board, the most recent price trends are quite favorable. That's even excluding the recent decline in gasoline prices As [...]

Year-over-year and six-month trends in UK IP are steady at a pacifistic 1%. But over the past three months UK IP has now accelerated strongly to a pace of just under 4% (at 3.6%). UK IP is up strongly in Q2 (see end of the table). The [...]

Unlike the strength in UK IP in June or the sharp rise in orders in Germany, Italy’s MFG sector is showing a broad-based slowing. Italy’s three-month growth rates by sector tell the story of a slowdown across the board. Overall IP [...]