Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased by 0.3%
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For the week ending February 4, 2012, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased by +0.3 percent, rising for two weeks in a row. Inflation-adjusted chain store sales surged by +1.9 percent, with help of food and drink purchases for Super Bowl watching, and lifted the barometer index in the latest week. As for the production side, auto and truck production increased, but lumber production and electric output decreased more than offsetting a gain in motor vehicle production.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer grew +0.8 percent for six weeks in a row, 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%), but not so impressive when you compare it to an -8.0 percent drop in 2009.
The smoothed version of the barometer, which attempts to account for weekly volatility, was flat in the week ending February 4th, ending its five consecutive weeks of decrease, while its year-over-year growth rate remained +1.0 percent for six weeks.
Posted: February 16, 2012 Thursday 10:00 AM