Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer Unchanged%
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For the week ending November 10, 2012, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer was flat following a marginal increase in the previous week. Indexes on production side were mixed as auto and lumber production continued to increase and electrical output made a rebound, weakness in steel production and truck production weighed on the total index. On consumption side, increase in Chain Store Sales and MBA’s purchase index helped to bring the overall index to flat. The impact from the hurricane Sandy fortunately seems to have proven to be short-lived.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer slowed to an increase of 1.0 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, was unchanged for 2 weeks, while its year-over-year growth rate also slowed a bit to 1.2 percent.
Posted: November 21, 2012 Wednesday 10:00 AM