Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer Up 0.4%
For the week ending May 29, 2010, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer jumped by +0.4 percent on top of +0.1 percent in the prior week. The unwinding of mortgage applications following the April 30 expiration date of the home buyer tax credits continued in the latest week with a total decline of -38.8 percent in May, but inflation-adjusted chain store sales put forth a gain following two weeks of decline. May turned out to be a much weaker month, rising +0.3 percent compared to April’s growth rate of +1.0 percent, reflecting caution in consumer spending and a drop in housing activity sans government stimulus. We are hopeful that June will see a pickup in economic activity although all eyes are still on Europe and the return of extreme financial market volatility.
Posted: June 10, 2010 Thursday 10:00 AM