Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer Decreased by 0.1%
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For the week ending September 29, 2012, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer decreased slightly by 0.1 percent following no change in the prior week. A small drop in this week reflected a decrease in Steel Production which declined by 1.8 percent after increases for three consecutive weeks. Also Auto and Truck Production both decreased slightly and hit the lowest production levels of the month. Chain Store Sales was 0.3 percent down after a slight pick up in the previous week. Meanwhile Electric Output increased by 3.6 percent this week after more than 4% drop for the last two consecutive weeks.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer increased by 1.3 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 barometer increased by 2.2 percent in 2011 at a somewhat slower pace compared to 2010.
The smoothed version of the barometer, which attempts to account for weekly volatility, decreased by 0.1 percent for the third consecutive week, while its year-over-year growth rate was 1.5 percent.
Posted: October 11, 2012 Thursday 10:00 AM