Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased 0.1%
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For the week ending October 29, 2011, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rose slightly by +0.1 percent following a decline of -0.2 percent in the prior week. Inflation-adjusted chain store sales increased by +0.7 percent, largely offsetting their decrease in the prior week and lifting the barometer index in the latest week. Overall contribution by the production sector was neutral in the week ending October 29, 2011, as auto and steel production showed a small gain, while truck production and electric output fell.
On a year-over-year basis, the growth of the barometer was +1.5 percent after decelerating modestly to +1.2 percent in the prior week, 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 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%), but not so impressive when you compare it to an -8.0 percent drop in 2009.
The smoothed version of the barometer, which attempts to account for weekly volatility, was flat in the latest week ending October 29th, while its year-over-year growth rate increased by +1.3 percent.
Posted: November 10, 2011 Thursday 10:00 AM