Month: June 2014

Global House Prices

Jan 2nd 2014, 14:55 by J.M.F. and D.H.

HOUSE prices are picking up globally. Values are rising in 18 of the 23 countries we track, compared with just 12 a year ago. The Case-Shiller index released on New Year’s Eve reported price increases of 13.6% in the year to October 2013. Homes in America have risen in value by 24% since their March 2012 trough, but they remain 20% below their peak in April 2006. In Britain, prices increased at their fastest rate in three years in October, fuelling fears of a housing bubble (and pop). The north-south divide in the euro area continues—prices still fall in the indebted south. Yet the market has finally bottomed out in Ireland: after halving over six years, prices are now 9% above their March low. And homes in Germany are rising at the fastest rate since reunification, although housing is still undervalued against both rents and income. Fears grow of a bubble in China, where prices increased by 8.7% in the year to November 2013, according to The Economist’s index, based on official figures from 70 Chinese cities. Brazil, which hosts the football World Cup in June, is also having a housing boom. Prices increased 13% in the 12 months to November and in Rio, which hosts the Olympics in 2016, they have trebled since 2008.

Source: http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/11/global-house-prices retrieved 5 June 2014

Manufacturing output shows growth from April to May

By Jeff Berman, Group News Editor
June 02, 2014

Manufacturing activity remained in growth territory last month, with nearly across the board increases in some of its key metrics, according to the May edition of the Non-Manufacturing Report on Business from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).

The NMI, the ISM’s index to measure growth, headed up 0.5 percent to 55.4 in May (a PMI of 50 or greater represents growth), which stands 1.5 percent below the 12-month average of 54.7. The PMI has grown in 17 of the last 18 months, with economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanding for the last 12 months as the overall economy was up for the 60th consecutive month.

Source: http://www.mmh.com/article/manufacturing_output_shows_growth_from_april_to_may?utm_source=TWIM&utm_medium=NT retrieved 4 June 2014