Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rose by 0.4%
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For the week ending March 28 2015, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rose by a solid 0.4 percent to 98.7. This week’s barometer was chiefly driven by strong performances in consumption indexes, in which chain store sales picked up by a sharp 3.4 percent due to improving consumer demand at wholesale clubs, electronics stores, and department stores. MBA’s purchase index also showed a significant gain of 5.7 percent, extending the positive trend for two consecutive weeks. As to the production side, electric output increased by 2.5 percent, but it was entirely offset by losses in other production indexes.
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 tothe 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, increased slightly by 0.1 percent to 98.5. Its year-over-year growth rate was 0.6 percent.
Posted: April 9, 2015 Thursday 10:00 AM