Doug Short | Dec 22, 2012 01:33AM ET
According to the Chicago Fed's National Activity Index, November economic activity increased from the previous month, now at 0.10. However, this indicator has been negative (meaning below-trend growth) for seven of the past nine months, and the all-important 3-month moving average has been negative for all nine of those months and 22 of the last 28 months. Here are the opening paragraphs from the report:
Led by improvements in production-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) increased to +0.10 in November from –0.64 in October. Two of the four broad categories of indicators that make up the index increased from October, but only the production and income category made a positive contribution to the index in November.
The index's three-month moving average, CFNAI-MA3, increased from –0.59 in October to –0.20 in November—its ninth consecutive reading below zero. November's CFNAI-MA3 sug- gests that growth in national economic activity was below its historical trend. The economic growth reflected in this level of the CFNAI-MA3 suggests subdued inflationary pressure from economic activity over the coming year.
The CFNAI Diffusion Index also moved up in November, increasing to –0.15 from –0.31 in October. Thirty-nine of the 85 individual indicators made positive contributions to the CFNAI in November, while 46 made negative contributions. Forty-four indicators improved from October to November, while 41 indicators deteriorated. Of the indicators that improved, 13 made negative contributions. [Download PDF News Release]
Elsewhere in the PDF report is a key mention of the positive effect from Sandy recovery.
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