Como se combate o populismo? "Com eleições", responde Fukuyama

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8:30am 04/14/05 U.S. FEB. RETAIL INVENTORIES UP 0.3%
8:30am 04/14/05 U.S. FEB. BUSINESS SALES DOWN 0.4%, LOWEST IN 2 YEARS
8:30am 04/14/05 U.S. FEB. INVENTORY-SALES RATIO 1.31 VS. 1.30
8:30am 04/14/05 U.S. FEB. INVENTORIES UP 0.5% VS. 0.6% EXPECTED

8:30am 04/14/05 U.S. CONTINUING JOBLESS CLAIMS FALL 22,000 TO 2.66 MLN
8:30am 04/14/05 U.S. INITIAL JOBLESS CLAIMS FALL 10,000 TO 330,000

ECONOMIC REPORT: Weekly jobless claims down 10,000
By Robert Schroeder, MarketWatch
Last Update: 8:34 AM ET April 14, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- First-time claims for state unemployment benefits fell by 10,000 to 330,000 in the week ended April 9, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had been expecting a decline to about 329,000.

Initial claims were last this low on March 19, at 330,000.

The four-week average of new claims, which smoothes out distortions caused by holidays, weather or other one-time events, was 338,000, an increase of 250 from the prior week's revised average of 337,750.

The number of people receiving unemployment checks, meanwhile, fell by 22,000 to 2.66 million in the week ended April 2.

The insured unemployment rate remained at 2.1%, according to the Labor Department data. The figure measures the ratio of beneficiaries to those eligible for benefits if laid off.



ECONOMIC REPORT: U.S. Feb. inventories rise 0.5%; Business sales fall 0.4%, biggest drop in nearly 2 years
By Rex Nutting, MarketWatch
Last Update: 8:32 AM ET April 14, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - U.S. businesses added 0.5% to their inventories in February while their sales fell 0.4%, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The drop in sales was the largest since April 2003.

The inventory-to-sales ratio rose to 1.31 in February from a record low 1.30 in January. The typical business has about 40 days of sales on hand in the backroom.

Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected inventories to rise about 0.6%.

In January, inventories rose 0.9% and sales increased 0.5%.

The figures are adjusted for seasonal factors but not for price changes.

Much of the data in the report had already been released. One new piece of information: Retail inventories increased 0.3% in February, including no change in auto inventories. Excluding autos, retail inventories increased 0.4%. Retail sales increased 0.4% in February.

The inventory-to-sales ratio for retail fell to 1.51, the lowest since December.

With greater use of information technology and other techniques over the past decades, businesses have been paring back their costly inventories.

But if inventories get too tight, customers may be forced to go elsewhere to get goods on time, even if it means paying higher prices. On the other hand, if inventories were to get too loose, new orders would contract, employment might fall, and a recession could ensue.

Inventories at manufacturing firms grew 0.5% in February after a record 1.5% increase in January. Manufacturers' sales fell 0.9% in February. The inventory-to-sales ratio rose to 1.25 from 1.23.

Inventories at wholesalers increased 0.6% while sales fell 0.4%. The inventory-to-sales ratio rose to 1.18 from 1.17.

In a separate report, the Labor Department said first-time jobless claims fell 10,000 to 330,000.