Free Republic

Before the presidential election, many Democrats were puzzled by the seeming disconnect between “economic reality” as reflected in various government statistics and the public’s perceptions of the economy on the ground. Many in Washington bristled at the public’s failure to register how strong the economy really was. They charged that right-wing echo chambers were conning voters into believing entirely preposterous narratives about America’s decline. What they rarely considered was whether something else might be responsible for the disconnect — whether, for instance, government statistics were fundamentally flawed. What if the numbers supporting the case for broad-based prosperity were themselves misrepresentations?...

In a recent economic event, the Chicago Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) reported a score of 36.9, suggesting a contraction in the manufacturing sector of the Chicago region. The PMI score of 36.9 is significantly lower than the forecasted 42.7, indicating a more severe contraction in the manufacturing sector than initially anticipated. This lower than expected reading is generally interpreted as negative, or bearish, for the USD.

Fifteen years ago, I had a stupid idea. I was the co-executive producer on ..."Cheers." NBC...was faltering: Ratings were sliding, money was tight, management was nervous ...Johnny Carson...was retiring... I was 28 then, and like all 28-year-olds, I had no idea exactly how stupid I was. So when I found myself standing next to the president of NBC ...I offered my solution to his network's crisis. "You know what you should do?" ... "You should move the 'Tonight Show' with Jay Leno to 10 p.m. Think of all the money you'd save." "That's a pretty stupid suggestion," he said to...

There is finally a little good news for consumers: Consumer prices were flat last month as a drop in costs for gasoline, clothes and new cars, helped to offset rising prices of food and medical care.Meanwhile, new claims for jobless benefits dropped more than expected last week as the impact of two hurricanes in September faded. The new reading on the Consumer Price Index, the government's most closely watched inflation barometer, came after prices actually dipped by 0.1 percent in August, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Those two months, however, had offered Americans a rare reprieve. Consumer prices have marched...

The Commerce Department reported Monday that the nation's savings rate was a negative number last year. You read it right. The average household didn't save a dime last year. In fact, the report said, Americans either took on more debt or dipped into previous savings in 2005 - to the tune of one half of one percent of their after-tax income. The savings rate in the United States hasn't been this low since the Great Depression. But back in 1932 and 1933, unemployment was rampant, and many families had to break the piggy bank just to keep food on the...

The U.S. Leading Index Edges Up in April May 20, 2004 The Conference Board announced today that the U.S. leading index increased 0.1 percent, the coincident index increased 0.3 percent and the lagging index increased 0.2 percent in April. -- The leading index increased only slightly in April, but the March increase was revised up from 0.3 percent to 0.8 percent as actual data became available. As a result, the leading index is still increasing at an average annual rate of 3.5 to 4.0 percent. -- The coincident index continued on its steady upward trend in April. The growth rate...

U.S. leading indicators up 0.3 percent in November Thursday December 18, 10:04 am ET WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - A closely watched gauge of future U.S. economic activity posted a second consecutive gain in November, suggesting the economy will gather strength in the new year, a private research firm said on Thursday. The Conference Board said its index of leading indicators rose 0.3 percent in November to 114.2, after an upwardly revised 0.5 percent increase in October. The November gain matched expectations on Wall Street. The leading index foreshadows economic activity in the next three to six months.

U.S. Oct leading indicators rise 0.4 pct Thursday November 20, 10:05 am ET WASHINGTON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The Conference Board index of leading, coincident and lagging indicators (1996=100) and percent changes from previous months, seasonally adjusted. Indicators: Index Oct Sept (Prev) Aug (Prev) Leading 113.6 0.4 unch -0.2 0.4 0.4 Coincident 116.0 0.2 0.2 0.1 unch unch Lagging 97.5 0.2 -0.6 -0.5 -0.1 unch Following are components of the index of leading indicators with net contributions to monthly changes. Oct Sept (Prev) Aug (Prev) Average Workweek 0.00 0.14 0.10 0.05 0.05 Initial Jobless Claims 0.17 -0.01 -0.01 -0.03 -0.03...

The Conference Board's Leading Index Dips in September, Coincident Index ImprovesMonday October 20, 10:01 am ET NEW YORK, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board reports today that the Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators declined 0.2 percent in September, following a 0.4 percent increase in August, and a 0.7 percent rise in July."The economy is improving (as evidenced by the uptick in the Coincident Economic Index in September), although the road ahead will likely remain bumpy," says Conference Board Economist Ken Goldstein. "After three straight monthly increases, the Coincident Index showed no change in August. The Leading Index, after...

<p>Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The index of leading U.S. economic indicators fell in September for the first time in six months, according to a research group report. The decrease suggests the economy will have trouble sustaining third-quarter growth that's estimated to have been the strongest in almost four years.</p>

DJ DJ-BTM Business Barometer -2: Smoothed Index Down 0.1% . NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--The Dow Jones-Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi weekly business barometer decreased by 0.3% in the week ended Sept. 6, continuing a saw-tooth pattern seen over the last few weeks. A week earlier, the barometer posted a 0.9% increase, which followed a 0.6% decrease the week before that. A statistically smoothed version of the index declined by 0.1% in the latest week and is up only 0.1 percentage point from its level in the week ended June 28. "It is not clear whether the early September weakness was associated with...

The Conference Board's Leading Index Rises for Fourth Straight Month, But Coincident Index StallsThursday September 18, 10:01 am ET NEW YORK, Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board reports today that the Composite Index of Leading Economic Indicators increased by 0.4% in August, after an upwardly revised 0.6% gain in July, a 0.4% increase in June and a 1.1% rise in May. With this rise, the level now stands at 1.4% above the previous peak reached in May 2002."The economy is improving, although the road will likely remain bumpy," says Conference Board Economist Ken Goldstein. "While the Coincident Index was...

The Conference Board's U.S. Leading Index Points to a Better Economy This Fall Thursday August 21, 10:00 am ET NEW YORK, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board announced today that the U.S. Leading Economic Index increased 0.4 percent, the Coincident Index increased 0.1 percent, and the Lagging Index increased 0.1 percent in July. The Coincident Index continued to rise very modestly in July. But the Leading Economic Index rose for the fourth straight month, after a weak first quarter of the year. The chief concern last spring was a lack of business confidence and investment. This was related to...

HONG KONG -(Dow Jones)- Mainland truck maker Qingling Motors Co . (Q.QMC) said Friday it expects its exports in 2002 to increase by more than 50% from the US$6 million in overseas sales last year. The robust growth in its overseas markets is expected help to lift its 2002 revenue by 15% above its the 3.3 billion yuan (US$1=CNY8.28) it recorded in 2001, Qingling Chairman and General Manager Wu Yun told reporters. The company is looking at overseas markets as competition intensifies domestically. The company cited that competition as the main reason for its 49% decline in net profit in...