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DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased slightly by 0.1%
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For the week ending April 6, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer increased slightly by 0.1 percent following a rise of 0.6 percent in the prior week. Most of the barometer components showed moves this week including a gain of Chain Store Sales. As to the production indexes, aside from Truck Production and Steel Production which increased by 9.7 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively, many of the indexes fell. There was a significant decrease in Auto Production, which dropped by 8.8 percent, the first decline in seven weeks. Electric Output and Lumber Production also fell.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer showed an increase of 0.5 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 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 by 0.1 percent. Its year-over-year growth rate was 0.6 percent.
Posted: April 18, 2013 Thursday 10:00 AM