2009

While the global economic picture will remain troubled for the near term, slightly improved U.S. economic data could be a harbinger of positive signals for a grim world landscape, according to a new report.

In the MAPI Quarterly Forecast of U.S. Exports, Global Growth, and the Dollar: Second Quarter 2009 Through Fourth Quarter 2010, economist Cliff Waldman writes that signs of firming demand in the U.S. economy, along with a global move toward historically accommodative monetary policies, suggests that a weak rebound in industrialized country output and a modest acceleration of developing country output could begin in the later months of 2009.

While the rare financial underpinnings of the current global crisis make it more difficult than ever to assess the impact …

February 2009 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers’ sales branches and offices, were $319.7 billion, up 0.6% from January and down 14.3% from February 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
 
The January preliminary estimate was revised downward $0.7 billion or 0.2%. February sales of durable goods were up 2.0% from last month, but were down 14.8% from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were up 3.7%, while sales of metals and minerals, except petroleum, were down 5.6%. Sales of nondurable goods were down 0.4% from last month and were down 13.8% from last year. Sales of chemicals and allied products were down 4.6% from last month.
 
Inventories
Total inventories of merchant …