Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer remained at the same level
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For the week ending November 9th 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer remained at the same level from the last week at 97.3. A positive contribution from a consumption index was cancelled out by negative ones in production side. Consumption was up driven by chain store sales increasing by 1.2 percent after dropping for two consecutive weeks. The biggest drop was seen in lumber production decreasing by 3.1 percent, the first negative contribution since September 14. Coal bituminous and lignite production also dropped for the first time in four weeks. Meanwhile auto production and electric output showed slight improvements.
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 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 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, remained at the same level at 97.3 for the third consecutive week. Its year-over-year growth rate was 0.6 percent.
Posted: November 21, 2013 Thursday 10:00 AM