Friday, December 31, 2010

USA & Global Economy: Encouraging News in December (GDP Charts) *Monthly Economic Review*

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USA & Global Economy: Manufacturing and Services Sectors Continue Expanding after Summer Slump


USA & Global Economy: Encouraging News in December
* Monthly Economic Review *

Although the EU Sovereign Debt Crisis continues, both the USA and Global Economy showed renewed economic recovery after the Summer Slump. Of course, all is not well: the USA financial system continues with problems and weaknesses, including a foreclosure fiasco and crisis, the USA unemployment rate remains high, the USA real estate is in a market depression, the USA cannot stop deficit spending, the USA has an ever increasing national debt, and the Federal Reserve continues quantitative easing aka monetizing and devaluing the U.S. Dollar. There does appear to be a Day of Reckoning for the USA on the horizon, although no one really knows when. The aftermath of the Credit Bubble and Great Recession will linger for a long time. However, the USA GDP is growing faster than projected and the risk of a double dip recession now appears much diminished.

Below are December post headlines from Boom Doom Economy,  Financial Controls, and Baidu Planet summarizing select economic data and news, in reverse chronological order. This is not a comprehensive list of key economic data. It is selected economic data that gives a general idea of the overall economic conditions, with the exceptions noted in the preceding paragraph. Further below is the historical and projected USA GDP per the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Also further below is the projected GDPs for the USA, Japan, the Euro Area, and Total OECD per the latest OECD economic outlook. The economic data for December will now begin and should indicate continuing economic recovery and expansion. Q4 2010 should be a better than initially projected quarter for the USA and Global Economy. Whether the pace of the economic recovery will continue on to Q1 2011 or will slow is the concern now.

USA Positive Economic Data and News
USA Weekly Leading Index at 33-Week High! (Charts) *Annualized growth rate continues positive!*
USA Weekly Unemployment Claims Drop Below 400,000! (Charts) *Lowest in 29 months, since July 2008*
USA Industrial Production at 27-Month High! (Charts) *Capacity utilization increases*
USA November Retail & Food Sales at 36-Month High! (Chart) *Near November 2007 peak*
USA Consumer Sentiment at 6-Month High (Chart) *2 consecutive strong monthly increases*
USA Total Consumer Credit Increases in October (Charts) *Revolving credit down 26th consecutive month*
USA Non-Manufacturing Index (NMI) Up +0.7% in November (Chart) "Sector continued expanding for 11th consecutive month"
USA Manufacturing PMI Dips -0.3% in November (Chart) "Sector continued expanding for 16th consecutive month"
Fed Beige Book: "USA Economy Continued to Improve" (Review) "Hiring activity showed some improvement"

USA Neutral and/or Negative Economic Data and News
Bank Failure Friday: No FDIC Closings on New Year's Eve! (Charts) *2010 final total 157, highest since 1992*
USA Monthly Consumer Confidence Index Dips in December (Chart) *Modest decline, consumers remain tepid*
USA GDP Q3 2010 Estimated at +2.6% (Charts) *Increase of +0.1% from prior estimate*
Federal Reserve: USA Economic Recovery Rate Insufficient (GDP Chart) *Not decreasing unemployment*
USA Unemployment Rate Increases to 9.8% in November (Charts) "Employment was little changed (+39,000)"

Global Positive Economic Data and News
China Manufacturing Expands at Slower Rate in December (Chart) "Conditions continue to improve"
Global All-Industry Output Index Down -0.2% in November (Chart) "Economic recovery continued"
Global Services PMI at 5-Month High (Chart) "Sector recovery extended into 16th successive month"
Global Manufacturing PMI at 4-Month High (Chart) "Severe slowdown has reached a bottom"
China Manufacturing PMI at 7-Month High (Video) "Strongest rise in overall new orders since March"

Global Neutral and/or Negative Economic Data and News
OECD: Euro Area Economic Survey (GDP Charts) "Recovery is now underway but will be muted"


USA GDP by Quarter

USA GDP by Quarter (Chart) The chart below is the annualized percentage change of the GDP (seasonally adjusted at annual rate) from the preceding quarter, QoQ, the most common GDP measure. As can be seen, there was a negative dip into the Great Recession beginning 2008 Q1, a rebound peaking with the 2009 Q4, a downward trend in 2010 Q1 and Q2. The USA economy appeared to be at a crossroads in Q2: a continuing downwards trend towards zero growth or a bounce upwards from there? The Q3 +2.6% is a positive bounce upwards. The chart covers the last 23 quarters (5+ years) of USA GDP as reported by BEA from 2005 Q1 through 2010 Q3.

The moving 4-quarter average (1 year) is now +3.25%, which is just above a break-even economy on jobs, creating a small net increase in jobs - but is not robust. The 23-quarter average is +1.23% per quarter, which is a stalled economy, a flat economy, that is not producing jobs and has an increasing unemployment rate. However, the current Q3 GDP +2.6% is well above this average.




OECD: GDP Growth Projections by Quarter

OECD: GDP Growth Projections by Quarter (Chart) Below is the OECD GDP Growth Projections by Quarter for the USA, Japan, the Euro Area, and the entire OECD. These are annualized percentage growth rates. The chart is for 10 quarters, from Q3 2010 through Q4 2011. The USA lowest quarter is +1.9% in Q4 2010 (now) and the highest is +3.7% in Q4 2012 (2 years from now). The Japan lowest quarter is +0.6% in Q2 2011 and the highest is +2.7% in Q1 2011 (next quarter). The Euro Area lowest quarter is +1.3% in both Q4 2010 (now) and Q1 2012 (next quarter). The highest quarter is +2.2% in both Q3 2012 and Q4 2012 (2 years from now). The Total OECD lowest quarter is +1.7% in Q4 2010 (now) and the highest is +3.2% in Q4 2012 (2 years from now). No negative GDP quarters are projected nor on the graph.




Links

USA & global economic news & analysis. There is always good/bad economic news, no matter how good/bad times are.

USA financial system, banking, Federal Reserve, USA & global economic news.

Baidu Planet
China economic & technology news. Baidu (BIDU) financial performance & stock analysis.


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USA Weekly Leading Index at 33-Week High! (Charts) *Annualized growth rate continues positive!*

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ECRI: Economic Weekly Leading Index and Annualized Growth Rate


USA Economic Weekly Index Jumps to 33-Week High!
USA WLI Annualized Growth Rate Continues Positive, at 31-Week High!

The Weekly Leading Index page has been updated with the latest report by the Economic Cycle Research Institute for the week ended December 24, 2010. The related charts (Weekly Leading Index and Annualized Growth Rate) have also been updated. A video of a recent interview of Laksham Achuthan, Managing Director of ECRI, discussing no double dip recession and no rapid recovery, has also been included.


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Thursday, December 30, 2010

USA Weekly Unemployment Claims Drop Below 400,000! (Charts) *Lowest in 29 months, since July 2008*

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United States Department of Labor: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report


USA Weekly Unemployment Claims at 29-Month Low!
4-Week Moving Average Lowest Since July 2008!
Post-Great Recession Cyclical Lows!

The Weekly Unemployment Claims page has been updated with the latest report by the U.S. Department of Labor for the week ended December 25, 2010. The related charts (4-Week Moving Average and Weekly Unemployment Insurance Claims) for the past 52 weeks have also been updated.


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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

USA Monthly Consumer Confidence Index Dips in December (Chart) *Modest decline, consumers remain tepid*

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The Conference Board: Monthly Consumer Confidence Index


USA Monthly Consumer Confidence Index Dips in December

Official Statement by The Conference Board The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had improved in November, decreased slightly in December. The Index now stands at 52.5 (1985=100), down from 54.3 in November. The Present Situation Index declined to 23.5 from 25.4. The Expectations Index decreased to 71.9 from 73.6 last month. Says Lynn Franco, Director of the Consumer Research Center at The Conference Board: "Despite this month's modest decline, consumer confidence is no worse off today than it was a year ago. Consumers' assessment of the current state of the economy and labor market remains tepid, and their outlook remains cautious. Thus, all signs continue to suggest that the economic expansion will continue well into 2011, but that the pace of growth will remain moderate."

Cycle History The current Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) in December of 52.5 (preliminary) is down -59.4 and -53% from the cyclical peak of 111.9 in July 2007. The current CCI is up +27.2 and +108% from the cyclical bottom of 25.3 in February 2009. Therefore, the CCI continues much closer to the cyclical low than to the high.

Trend The current trend is now flat. The December CCI of 52.5 (preliminary) is now below the level 12-month moving average of 53.3, after being above in November and being below the prior 5 consecutive  months. The  current CCI is above the slightly ascending 24-month moving average of 49.3 and has been for 10 consecutive months. The current CCI continues above the 36-month moving average of 52.2 for the 2nd consecutive month, after being below the prior 5 consecutive months. (The 12-month, 24-month, and 36-month moving averages charts are not shown on this page).

Monthly Consumer Confidence Index (Chart) Below is a chart of the past 42 months of The Conference Board CCI (preliminary) from the July 2007 cyclical high of 111.9 through the latest month reported, December 2010. As can be seen, the CCI bottomed in February 2009 and the Great Recession officially ended in June 2009. After a peak in May 2010 of 62.7, the CCI has been in a range from a low of 48.6 in September 2010 to a high of 54.3 in November 2010. The current CCI of 52.5 (preliminary) continues above the recent lows of 48.6 in September 2010 and 46.4 in February 2010.


Commentary The decline of the December Consumer Confidence Index to 52.5 (preliminary) is disappointing and unexpected. However, the CCI continues above the recent lows of 48.6 in September 2010 and 46.4 in February 2010.  In contrast, Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's December reading on consumer sentiment is at a 6-month high [USA Consumer Sentiment at 6-Month High (Chart) *2 consecutive strong monthly increases*]. Therefore, the overall downturn in the Consumer Confidence Index does not appear to be strong or a change in trend. The CCI continues closer to the cyclical low of 25.3 in February 2009 than the cyclical high of 111.9 in July 2007, as evidenced by the above chart.


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*Data courtesy of The Conference Board*


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Friday, December 24, 2010

USA Weekly Leading Index at 32-Week High! (Charts) *Annualized growth rate turns positive!*

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ECRI: Economic Weekly Leading Index and Annualized Growth Rate


USA Economic Weekly Index Jumps to 32-Week High!
USA WLI Annualized Growth Rate Turns Positive, at 30-Week High!

The Weekly Leading Index page has been updated with the latest report by the Economic Cycle Research Institute for the week ended December 17, 2010. The related charts (Weekly Leading Index and Annualized Growth Rate) have also been updated. A video of a recent interview of Laksham Achuthan, Managing Director of ECRI, discussing no double dip recession and no rapid recovery, has also been included.


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Thursday, December 23, 2010

USA Weekly Unemployment Claims Steady at 420K (Charts) *4-week average up slightly*

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United States Department of Labor: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report


USA Weekly Unemployment Claims Steady at 420K
4-Week Moving Average Up, Still in August, 2008 Range

The Weekly Unemployment Claims page has been updated with the latest report by the U.S. Department of Labor for the week ended December 18, 2010. The related charts (4-Week Moving Average and Weekly Unemployment Insurance Claims) for the past 52 weeks have also been updated.


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