Vice versa, a relaxation of credit operations through a reduction of the interest rates generates an increased purchasing power and an increased ability for the manufacturer to contract loans and further invest in his business. 2.6 Producer price index The Producer Price Index, or the PPI, stands for "family of indexes that measures the average change in selling prices received by domestic producers of goods and services over time. PPIs measure

Macroeconomic Situation Delivering a speech to the American Bankers Association in Atlanta on June 7, 2011, Federal reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke posited a pessimistic view of current macroeconomic conditions. "The U.S. economy is recovering from both the worst financial crisis and the most severe housing bust since the Great Depression, and it faces additional headwinds ranging from the effect of the Japanese disaster to global pressures in commodity prices" (Hilsenrath, J.

Black & Decker Forecasts Since the merger with Stanley, Black and Decker has seen a steady increase in its revenues, gross profit and net income. The different elements of the new company are still being integrated, underperforming divisions are being shed, and synergies between the different components are still being developed. As the company continues to make internal improvements, it can expect that it will continue to grow both its top and

With the Fed shifting from quantitative easing (QE) to quantitative tightening (QT) in recent years, and the end of unconventional monetary policy, interest rates are set to continue to rise as the central bank reduces its balance sheet. With bond yields already going up and volatility at all-time lows, questions remain about how the market will react to this normalization process. One thing is for certain, however: the recent rise

While it is true that jobs generated by 'clean up' needs can compensate for the loss of jobs, the Bureau's figures and the Social Security administration's figures still count workers held on payrolls. These workers are counted as employed, even if they cannot do their jobs, and may have relocated to another area of the country as a result of the storm -- and are likely to have their

The U.S. economy is currently downshifting. Real GDP appears to be growing nearly 2% annualized -- at most -- in the current quarter. This rate is down from 3% during the first half of 2010 (before impending downward revisions), and 4% during the second half of 2009. Weakening support from the monetary and fiscal stimulus, the fading inventory rotation in manufacturing, and the consequences from Europe's debt crisis are an