Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer Decreased by 0.2%
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For the week ending October 27, 2012, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer decreased by 0.2 percent and fell for the third consecutive week. This week’s drop was dragged down by declines of Auto and Truck Production, which dropped by 4.6 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. Steel Production continued to decline three weeks in a row and reached the lowest production level since December 2011. Meanwhile, Bituminous and Lignite Production, Lumber Production, and Chain Store Sales picked up following the decreases in the prior week.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer increased by 1.4 percent, which compares to an average -3.3 percent decline over the Great Recession (determined to have ended in June 2009 according to the NBER). After flatlining 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 barometer increased by 2.2 percent in 2011 at a somewhat slower pace compared to 2010.
The smoothed version of the barometer, which attempts to account for weekly volatility, decreased by 0.1 percent, while its year-over-year growth rate was 1.5 percent.
Posted: November 8, 2012 Thursday 10:00 AM