Defining An Economic Depression

What is the official definition of an (economic) depression? Although the term is often heard, the term seems to lack a well-structured definition. There is a section discussing depressions on The NBER’s Business Cycle Dating Procedure:  Frequently Asked Questions page.  As seen in the discussion, it says: The term depression is often used to refer …

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Long-Term Chart Of The ECRI Weekly Leading Index (WLI)

On an intermittent basis I have commented on ECRI’s methodologies and its indices, including the WLI Growth.  I include the WLI Growth in the monthly update of economic indicators. Although ECRI’s WLI Growth measure receives far greater attention, it should also be noted that there is a ECRI WLI (Weekly Leading Index) from which the …

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Updates On Economic Indicators November 2011

Here is an update on various indicators that are supposed to predict and/or depict economic activity.  These indicators have been discussed in previous blog posts: The November Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI)(pdf) updated as of November 21, 2011: – The USA TODAY/IHS Global Insight Economic Outlook Index: An excerpt from the November 8 update titled “Index …

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The November 2011 Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Survey

The November Wall Street Journal Economic Forecast Survey was published on November 10, 2011.  The headline is “Economists See Smaller Chance of U.S. Recession.” I found various aspects of the survey to be interesting, including the following excerpts: The 52 economists surveyed in November—not all of whom answer every question—put 1-in-4 odds that the U.S. …

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“America’s New Poor” Segment – Notable Excerpts

Yesterday, CBS aired a segment on its “Sunday Morning” show titled “America’s new poor.” While dynamics similar to those discussed in the segment have been noted in previous posts on this blog, this segment is yet another notable reminder of the changing economic condition and the growing need for food assistance.  This segment focuses on …

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Building Financial Danger – An Update

On October 17 I wrote a post titled “Danger Signs In The Stock Market, Financial System And Economy.”  This post is a brief update to that post. My overall analysis continues to indicate that there is an elevated and growing level of danger. Many prominent parties seem to be fixated on the European financial problems, …

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Europe And Contagion – Broader Implications

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal had an article titled “Turmoil Spreads in Europe.”  The subtitle is “Bond Market Selloff Hits Nations Seen as Healthy, Raising Specter of Contagion.” An excerpt: Europe’s debt troubles on Tuesday spilled over to top-rated nations that had been largely untouched by the crisis—including Austria, the Netherlands, Finland and France—in an …

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Walmart’s Q3 2012 Results – Comments

I found various notable items in Walmart’s Q3 conference call transcript (pdf) dated November 15, 2011.  I view Walmart’s results and comments as particularly noteworthy given their retail prominence and focus on low prices.  I have previously commented on their quarterly results; these previous posts are found under the “paycheck to paycheck” tag. Here are various excerpts that I find …

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Philadelphia Fed – 4th Quarter 2011 Survey Of Professional Forecasters

The Philadelphia Fed Fourth Quarter 2011 Survey of Professional Forecasters was released on November 14.  This survey is somewhat unique in various regards, such as it incorporates a longer time frame for various measures. The survey shows, among many measures, the following expectations: GDP: full-year 2011 : 1.8% full-year 2012 : 2.4% full-year 2013 : 2.7% full-year …

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