For Immediate Release May 7, 2003
Contact: Cristi Allen
callen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 817-640-6166

Arlington, Texas (May 07, 2003)-Decision Analyst, Inc.'s U.S. Economic Index showed encouraging signs of optimism in April, recording the first significant upward movement since last fall. The Index (calculated from a nationwide, online survey conducted during the last 10 days of each month) was up by three points compared to the March value, coming in at the moderately depressed level of 109.

"The increase in the Index value for April is an encouraging sign given the stagnation that's continuing to afflict the economy overall," said Jerry W. Thomas, President and CEO of Decision Analyst, an international marketing research and marketing consulting firm. "It's the biggest one-month jump in the Index since last August, albeit from a much lower base level. The successful conclusion of the Iraq war has no doubt given the American public a confidence boost, and hopefully the economy will get a kick-start from that. it certainly needs it."

For the second consecutive month, the Index was driven higher by rising confidence in the stock market. Optimism in the future of the markets was at its highest level since April 2002, up 14% over March (to 126 from 111) and up an astonishing 47% from its low point in February 2003. Consumer confidence was also strongly up (112 compared to 97), bouncing back from a war-induced dip in March.

"As the uncertainties of the international situation subside, medium term confidence does appear to be on a gradual upward trend," Thomas says. "However, many fundamentals remain heavily depressed. There's no sign of job security increasing, and month-to-month business activity remains stubbornly stagnant. It will take a sustained period of rising consumer confidence, not just a brief upward swing, before those key motors of economic growth start moving in the right direction."

Methodology

The Decision Analyst Economic Index is based on a monthly Internet survey of several thousand households balanced by gender, age, and geography. The survey is conducted during the last 10 days of each month, and the Index is immediately calculated from nine different economic measurements, using a sophisticated econometric model. The result is a snapshot of current U.S. economic activity, as seen through the eyes of representative consumers. Decision Analyst also conducts concurrent economic surveys in Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, and Australia. Whenever the Decision Analyst Economic Index is greater than 110, it tends to signal an expanding economy. An Index value of 100 to 110 suggests a stagnant economy, and below 100 generally indicates economic contraction. These guidelines vary by country, however.

For additional information contact:
Cristi Allen
Publicity
Email: callen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 1.800.ANALYSIS (262.5974)
Address: 604 Avenue H East
Arlington, TX 76011

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