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DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer fell by 0.4%
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For the week ending January 24 2015, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer fell by 0.4 percent to 98.2, extending the weakening trend for two consecutive weeks, as almost all indexes recorded negative performances. Chain store sales dropped by 0.5 percent as onlineonly retailers, electronics, office furniture, and drug stores saw weaker business. MBA’s purchase index and freight car loadings also declined. As to the production side, electric output slipped by 5.9 percent, in line with other minor losses in lumber, steel and coal production.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer showed a gain of 1.9 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, declined by 0.1 percent to 98.5. Its year-over-year growth rate was 1.1 percent.
Posted: February 5, 2015 Thursday 10:00 AM