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DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer unch%
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For the week ending October 25 2014, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer remained at the same level, 98.1, from the prior week as gains in some indexes were entirely cancelled out by drops in others. On one side, electric output and coal production declined by 1.7 and 4.3 percent, respectively, in line with a sharp drop of 5 percent in MBA’s purchase index. However, on the other side, chain store sales picked up by 0.3 percent, after declining for two consecutive weeks. Auto and truck production also rose by 0.5 and 2.1 percent, respectively.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer showed a gain of 0.7 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, fell by 0.1 percent to 98.1. Its year-over-year growth rate was 0.8 percent.
Posted: November 6, 2014 Thursday 10:00 AM