Research >> Economics
BTMU U.S. Business Barometer declined by 0.2%
|
For the week ending October 31 2015, the BTMU U.S. Business Barometer declined by 0.2 percent to 97.7, dragged down by weak performances in both consumption and production indexes. For instance, chain store sales and MBA’s purchase index fell by 0.8 and 0.6 percent, respectively. As to the production side, most indexes reported losses. Auto and steel production decreased by 4.4 and 1.3 percent, respectively. Likewise, electric output and lumber production dipped by 1.3 and 0.8 percent, respectively.
On a year-over-year basis, the barometer showed a loss of 0.3 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, remained at 97.8. Its year-over-year growth rate was -0.4 percent.
Posted: November 12, 2015 Thursday 10:00 AM