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DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer decreased by 0.1%
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For the week ending June 7 2014, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer decreased slightly by 0.1 percent to 97.9. The decrease in this week’s barometer is mainly driven by weak performances in consumption indexes, especially chain store sales, which declined by 2.7 percent after a 2.8 percent gain in the prior week. As to the production side, truck production and electric output climbed by 6.1 and 2.9 percent, respectively, although it was partially offset by a sharp drop in auto production.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer showed a gain of 0.7 percent, which compares to an average -3.3 percent decline over the Great Recession (ended in June 2009 according to the NBER). After flat lining in 2006, and declining from 2007 through 2009, the barometer bounced back in 2010 to rise by 3.4 percent, which was the strongest increase since 1994 (+4.0 percent), but not so impressive when compared to an -8.0 percent drop in 2009. The rate of increase for the 2013 slowed to 0.7 percent following 1.5 percent in 2012.
The smoothed version of the barometer, which attempts to account for weekly volatility, remained at 97.9 for four weeks in a row. Its year-over-year growth rate was 0.7 percent.
Posted: June 19, 2014 Thursday 10:00 AM