Last Friday we discussed the difference between factual data (we called this “WHAT IS”) and “everything else” (which we called “static”) or the entire sum of all interpretations, extrapolations, and forecasts that inevitably follow the publishing of every data point. And we promised to provide an example of the latter, so here goes.
Industrial production was positive in the final month of the third quarter after pretty dismal showings in the prior two periods. Output of all physically made goods increased 0.3 percent in September 2017 according to the Federal Reserve. This uptick was not enough to recapture the losses from July and August. July was downwardly revised to -0.6 percent (originally -0.1 perce
Industrial production was positive in the final month of the third quarter after pretty dismal showings in the prior two periods. Output of all physically made goods increased 0.3 percent in September 2017 according to the Federal Reserve. This uptick was not enough to recapture the losses from July and August. July was downwardly revised to -0.6 percent (originally -0.1 perce
Industrial production was positive in the final month of the third quarter after pretty dismal showings in the prior two periods. Output of all physically made goods increased 0.3 percent in September 2017 according to the Federal Reserve. This uptick was not enough to recapture the losses from July and August. July was downwardly revised to -0.6 percent (originally -0.1 perce
Retail sales jumped in September 2017 according to the Census Bureau’s data. After falling a revised 0.1 percent in August (originally -0.2 percent), the value of transactions climbed 1.6 percent as the third quarter came to a close. Versus a year earlier, retail sales increased 4.4 percent. However, it appears some of the data was influenced by difficult weather in the
Price gains accelerated in September 2017 according to headline figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI). Versus a month earlier, prices rose 0.5 percent, and this jump follows an increase of 0.4 percent in August. Compared to a year earlier, CPI is 2.2 percent higher, speeding up from 1.9 percent in the middle of the third quarter.
Prices paid by producers and wholesalers continued rising in September 2017 according to the Producer Price Index released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. After increasing 0.2 percent in August, this measure of inflation advanced 0.4 percent to end the third quarter. It has now increased 2.6 percent versus a year ago, the steepest annual increase since February 2012. Costs
Every morning at 6:30 PST, Mr. Market gives Atlas a wake-up call. During the preceding 14.5 hours, our sites and sources have been parsing the data collected from the prior day’s activity in all the financial markets we follow.
America’s trade imbalance improved in August 2017 according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Following July’s upwardly revised trade deficit of $43.6 billion (originally $43.7 billion), our nation’s shortfall improved to minus $42.4 billion. This narrowing was a result of increased exports and falling imports. More specifically, A
© 2026 Atlas Indicators Investment Advisors. All rights reserved.
