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For Immediate Release March 10, 2008
Contact: Cristi Allen
callen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 817-640-6166
The Decision Analyst Economic Index Rebounds In February
Arlington, Texas (March 10, 2008)—
Decision Analyst’s U.S. Economic Index rose from 93 in January 2008 to 95 in February. While this slight uptick is a glimmer of positive news, both the January and February Index numbers strongly indicate that the U.S. economy is in recession. The chart below shows the U.S. Economic Index for the past 13 months.
“The U.S. economy is sick, but despite the woes in the housing and financial sectors, many parts of the U.S. economy still show signs of life,” said Jerry W. Thomas, President/CEO of Decision Analyst. “The greatest risk to the U.S. economy now is runaway inflation caused by the Federal Reserve’s endless rate cuts and monetary easing, and the resulting collapse in the value of the dollar. Governmental policies favoring ethanol production are also contributing to inflationary pressure,” said Thomas.
Among the components that make up the Economic Index, the most important in moving the Index higher in February were positive expectations about future stock prices, increasing �business activity” where people work, and rising “consumer purchase intent� for major purchases. The most negative factor in the February Economic Index was consumer concerns about inflation (rising costs of goods and services).
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 typically conducted between the 20th and 27th of each month. The Index is
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 Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands,
Peru, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, and Venezuela. 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 slow-growth economy, and below
100 generally indicates economic contraction. These guidelines vary by country,
however.
About Decision Analyst
Decision Analyst (www.decisionanalyst.com) is a leading marketing research
and marketing consulting firm specializing in advertising testing, strategy
research, new product development, and advanced modeling for marketing decision
optimization. The firm delivers competitive advantage to clients throughout
the world in the consumer packaged goods, telecommunications, retail, high technology,
medical and pharmaceutical, utilities, and e-commerce industries. Decision Analyst
operates American Consumer Opinion® online, one of the world's largest Internet-based
consumer-opinion panels, with more than seven million members.
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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