Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rose by 0.2%
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For the week ending April 11 2015, the BTMU U.S. Business Barometer rose by 0.2 percent to 99.0, the highest level since the beginning of the year. This week’s barometer was mainly fuelled by strong performances in consumption indexes. Chain store sales increased by 0.9 percent, extending the positive trend for three weeks in a row. Railroad freight car loadings as well rose by 1.1 percent after declining by 1.8 percent last week. As to the production side, all indexes except steel and truck production reported losses. For example, lumber and coal production dropped by 1.7 and 1.6 percent, respectively.
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 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, increased again by 0.1 percent to 98.8. Its year-over-year growth rate was 0.6 percent.
Posted: April 23, 2015 Thursday 10:00 AM