Research >> Economics
DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer picked up slightly by 0.1%
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For the week ending June 1, 2013, the DJ-BTMU U.S. Business Barometer picked up slightly by 0.1 percent following a decrease of 0.4 percent in the prior week. Relatively-large declines in production indexes, especially in motor vehicle productions, were offset by gains of consumption indexes this week. Both Auto and Truck Production dropped significantly and Railroad Freight Carloadings also decreased by 1.2 percent, at almost same pace as last week. Within the consumption indexes, Chain Store Sales rose by 1.8 percent after falling by 0.9 percent and its positive contribution to the barometer was the largest among other indexes.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer showed an increase of 0.9 percent for the eighth consecutive week, 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, continued to decrease by 0.1 percent. Its year-over-year growth rate was 0.8 percent.
Posted: June 13, 2013 Thursday 10:00 AM