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DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased by 0.1%
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For the week ending February 7 2015, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased by 0.1 percent to 98.4, extending the positive trend for two weeks in a row, as gains in production indexes topped losses in consumption indexes. All production indexes except auto production posted gains in this week’s business barometer, particularly electric output and coal production, which rose by 4.0 and 11.3 percent, respectively. On the consumption side, however, MBA’s purchase index dipped by 6.5 percent, while chain store sales fell by 2.0 percent.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer showed a gain of 1.2 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 98.4. Its year-over-year growth rate was 1.1 percent.
Posted: February 19, 2015 Thursday 10:00 AM