Economy in Brief: March 2017

Import prices edged 0.2% higher (4.6% y/y) during February following a 0.6% January increase, revised from 0.4%. A 0.1% uptick had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. These figures are not seasonally adjusted. [...]

Index traces out pattern of strength The Bank of France business indicator moved up to 103.9 in February from 101.7 in January. The index extends its tendency since early 2016 to show ongoing business sector improvement. In the wake [...]

Inventories at the wholesale level fell 0.2% (+2.4% y/y) during January following an unrevised 1.0% December jump. The advance report issued last week also indicated a 0.2% January decline. Inventories of durable goods eased 0.2% [...]

German IP advanced in January despite Germany having reports a very sharp decline in new orders yesterday. Of course, orders and output are connected with more than a one-month lag. But output is showing signs of fatigue. The IP gain [...]

Growth in nonfarm output per hour during Q4'16 increased at an unrevised 1.3% rate (1.0% y/y) following a 3.3% Q3 rise, revised from 3.5%. A 1.5% increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. These latest two [...]

The ADP/Moody's National Employment Report indicated that private nonfarm payroll employment increased 298,000 (1.9% y/y) during February, the largest rise since April 2014. It followed a 261,000 January gain, revised from 246,000, [...]

Consumer credit outstanding increased $8.8 billion (6.3% y/y) during January following a $14.7 billion December increase, earlier reported as $14.2 bil. An $18.0 billion increase had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast [...]

Regular gasoline prices of $2.34 per gallon (27.2% y/y) last week compared to $2.31 per gallon during the prior week. Prices remained lower than the 2014 high of $3.71 per gallon. Haver Analytics constructs factors adjusting for the [...]