Consumer confidence is taking a hit and an ongoing one in EMU. The percentiles tell an interesting story of these unfolding developments. It is no surprise (final column of the table) that the strongest correlation with Consumer [...]
Introducing
Robert Brusca
in:Our Authors
Robert A. Brusca is Chief Economist of Fact and Opinion Economics, a consulting firm he founded in Manhattan. He has been an economist on Wall Street for over 25 years. He has visited central banking and large institutional clients in over 30 countries in his career as an economist. Mr. Brusca was a Divisional Research Chief at the Federal Reserve Bank of NY (Chief of the International Financial markets Division), a Fed Watcher at Irving Trust and Chief Economist at Nikko Securities International. He is widely quoted and appears in various media. Mr. Brusca holds an MA and Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University and a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan. His research pursues his strong interests in non aligned policy economics as well as international economics. FAO Economics’ research targets investors to assist them in making better investment decisions in stocks, bonds and in a variety of international assets. The company does not manage money and has no conflicts in giving economic advice.
Publications by Robert Brusca
Global| Nov 30 2007Euro-Consumer Confidence Hits the Skids
- Global| Nov 30 2007
EU Sentiment is Fading Fast
Mixed but weakening, conditions. The monthly EU sectors show that weakness still stalks the EU region. Still some sectors have improved this month. The EU industrial index improved in November to +3 from +2. The retail index improved [...]
- Global| Nov 29 2007
UK: CBI Retail Sales Hold Steady and Strengthen
The UK retail sector is stuck more or less mid range. Various components are generally at or above the mid point of their respective ranges. Orders, the relative strongest component, resides in the 70th percentile of its range. Sales [...]
- Global| Nov 29 2007
Japan IP Sharply High in the Month of October
Japan continued to see its textile business eaten alive by international competition in October. Still, manufacturing output rose by 1.6% month-to-month and stands higher year/year by 3.5% after rising 6.6% the year before. Consumer [...]
- Global| Nov 29 2007
French Consumer Confidence in Abrupt About Face
The abrupt drop in French consumer confidence in the INSEE survey is sharp and as strong a reversal as appeared in early 2001. Confidence itself at -28 in the 11 percentile of that variable’s range – very weak showing. Living [...]
- Global| Nov 28 2007
The German Condition...
German wholesale sales growth is lagging in new quarter. Real ex-auto sales remain challenged. Europe has been spinning out mixed economic signals. While there has been a lot of angst exhibited over the strong euro, the German finance [...]
- Global| Nov 27 2007
Business Climate Perks up in France
Frances business climate improved to an index reading of 110 in November from 108 in October. The gain, like the rise in the German IFO index was unexpected. Still the index has moderated as the level reading has flattened out and [...]
- Global| Nov 27 2007
German Indexes Show Some Unexpected Life…but not That Much
The overall IFO business sentiment index rose to 104.2 in November from 103.9 in October. Current conditions improved to 110.4 from 109.6. But expectations slipped to 98.3 from 98.6. Even so the table below shows that the growth of [...]
- Global| Nov 27 2007
German Flash HICP Soars...
There is not much to say about Germany’s flash HICP since the report provides no detail. But the headline says quite a lot this month. Inflation in Germany is steadily accelerating. In prior months core inflation had crept up above [...]
- Global| Nov 26 2007
UK GDP Grows 3%
UK GDP slipped in the current quarter to a growth rate of 3% from 3.3% in Q2. And while it is a touch below its year/year pace of late it is also a touch above its five year range. Private consumption was strong in Q3 at an annualized [...]
- Global| Nov 23 2007
Services Slip: E-zone PMIs are Weak
The NTC-Reuter Flash PMIs for November show an unexpected bounce for Manufacturing and slip for Services. Both readings are weak, however. Placed in the past 23-month range (the whole of the life of the services index) services are [...]
- Global| Nov 20 2007
Italy's Orders Growth Slows as Foreign Orders Hold Erratically Higher
Italy’s order trends are not as clear as the slowing in some other Euro area countries. True, the 3-month growth rates are lower and sharply lower especially for foreign orders. But the chart on the left shows how erratic foreign [...]
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