Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer up 1.4%
For the week ending December 20, 2008, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer leapt up by +1.4 percent led by a surge in last minute holiday shopping and a cold snap that increased utility usage across much of the country. Inflation-adjusted chain store sales posted their largest weekly increase since the same week one-year ago, proving that once again holiday shoppers waited until late in the season to complete their gift lists. With 2008 coming to a close, the barometer looks to have declined by -1.6 percent, on top of -1.0 percent in 2007, and has not dropped that sharply in one year since posting a decline of -1.8 percent in 2001. Further, the barometer has not posted back-to-back annual declines since 1990-91.
Posted: December 31, 2008 Wednesday 10:01 AM