Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rose 0.2%
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For the week ending December 11, 2010, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rose by +0.2 percent following a sharp correction in the prior week. Diffusion looked good in the latest week with seventy percent of the components increasing. Inflation-adjusted chain store sales bounced back after the post-Thanksgiving lull in the prior week, and more recent weekly data suggests spending remained strong all the way to Christmas. With only a few weeks to go in 2010 the barometer looks to have grown by +3.3 percent following three years of decline (2009: -8.0%, 2008: -1.4%, 2007: -0.6%).
On a weekly year-over-year basis, the barometer accelerated to +4.7 percent in the week ending December 11, 2010, which compares to an average -3.3 percent decline over the Great Recession (based on BTMU’s assumption that the recovery began in June 2009). The year-over-year pace of the barometer has lost ground since peaking at +6.2 percent in the week ending July 10th. It is important to note, however, that the annual comparisons are getting tougher as we move further along in the business cycle.
Posted: December 23, 2010 Thursday 10:00 AM