Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer jumped by 0.4%
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For the week ending October 19th 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer jumped by 0.4 percent following a 0.3 percent decline in the prior week. After five straight weekly declines, the consumption indexes showed positive contributions to this week’s barometer; chain store sales rose by 1.5 percent as well as railroad freight carloadings, which increased by 1.1 percent. Production side also contributed to the barometer positively; lumber production increased by 1.6 percent.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer showed a gain of 0.6 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 rate of increase for the 2012 slightly slowed to 1.4 percent following 2.2 percent in 2011.
The smoothed version of the barometer, which attempts to account for weekly volatility, was flat for two weeks in a row. Its year-over-year growth rate was 0.4 percent.
Posted: October 31, 2013 Thursday 10:00 AM