Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer dropped by 0.3%
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For the week ending September 14th 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer dropped by 0.3 percent to 97.5, the first time in four weeks. Weaknesses in both production and consumption indexes dragged this week’s barometer. Chain store sales decreased by 1.7 percent, cancelling out a pickup in the prior week while railroad freight increased by 3.7 percent. As to production indexes, lumber production dropped significantly by 9.4 percent. A considerable surge was seen in truck production, reflecting a continued strong demand, however, its growth was more than offset by the decrease in lumber production.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer showed a gain of 0.8 percent, the biggest increase since May 18, 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, increased slightly by 0.1 percent. Its year-over-year growth rate was 0.6 percent.
Posted: September 26, 2013 Thursday 10:00 AM