Playing catch-up

Apologies for the quick-and-dirty catch up—a couple of day jobs (or maybe pay jobs is better)—came up last week. In any case, the statistical system split evenly between good and bad news in our absence. As we go into the mid-month tide of data, the count stands at about 36 percent of the news released so far in April being good.

February 2009 sales of merchant wholesalers were $319.7 billion, up 0.6 percent from last month. End-of-month inventories were $419.3 billion, down 1.5 percent from last month. (Good news on both.)

The Nation's international deficit in goods and services decreased to $26.0 billion in February 2009 from $36.2 billion in January, as exports increased and imports decreased. (Good news through the front door this time.)

Consumer credit decreased at an annual rate of 3-1/2 percent in February 2009. Revolving credit decreased at an annual rate of 9-3/4 percent. (Bad news, credit crunch continues.)

Import prices increased for the first time since July, advancing 0.5 percent in March after edging down 0.1 percent in February. The March advance was led by a 10.5 percent rise in petroleum price. Export prices decreased 0.6 percent in March because of lower prices for both agricultural and nonagricultural exports. (Mixed to bad news. Scored as bad on balance, based uncomfortable decline in export prices.)