11/6/08

The global economy is in trouble

It is difficult to be optimistic these days. Every day there seems to be new bearish developments.The latest news is that the global economy is in deep trouble, as documented in detail every month in The Global Business Cycle as part of our service to clients.

The world manufacturing sector suffered its sharpest contraction in survey history during October, as the ongoing retrenchment of global demand and further deepening of the credit market crisis negatively impacted on the trends in output, new orders and employment. The Global Manufacturing Index dropped to 41.0, its lowest reading since data were first compiled in January 1998 and a level below the no-change mark of 50.0 for the fifth month in a row.

Output, total new orders and new export orders all contracted at the fastest rates in the survey history in October. With the exception of India, which again bucked the global trend, all of the national manufacturing surveys posted declines in output and new orders. The impact of the downshift in global market conditions also had a far-reaching effect on international trade volumes. Although new export orders fell at a slower rate than total new business, all of the national manufacturing sectors covered by the survey (including India) saw a reduction in new export orders.

More, much more of my analysis and recommendations when you read older posts in the blog archive and subscribe to The Peter Dag Portfolio by going to https://www.peterdag.com/.

George Dagnino, PhD
Editor, The Peter Dag Portfolio
Since 1977

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