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

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10:00am 03/01/05 U.S. JAN. PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION UP 0.8%
10:00am 03/01/05 U.S. JAN. PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION UP 0.6%
10:00am 03/01/05 U.S. JAN. CONSTRUCTION OUTLAYS UP 0.7% VS 0.5% EXPECTED

10:00am 03/01/05 U.S. FEB. ISM MANUFACTURING INDEX 55.3% VS 56.4% IN JAN
10:01am 03/01/05 U.S. FEB. ISM MANUFACTURING INDEX BELOW 56.7% CONSENSUS
10:03am 03/01/05 U.S. FEB. ISM NEW ORDERS 55.8% VS 56.5% IN JAN.

U.S. Jan. construction outlays up 0.7% vs 0.5% expected

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Outlays on U.S. construction projects increased 0.7 percent in January, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.
Economists were expecting outlays to rise 0.5 percent.
Spending on private construction climbed 0.6 percent above the revised December estimate of $800.6 billion, while spending on public projects rose 0.8 percent above the revised December estimate of $239.7 billion.


ECONOMIC REPORT: Factory activity falls again in Feb
By Greg Robb, MarketWatch
Last Update: 10:37 AM ET March 1, 2005

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Factory activity in the United States decelerated again in February, the Institute for Supply Management reported Tuesday.

The index has slipped for four straight months. The index is at its lowest level of the index since Sept. 2003. Read full survey

The ISM index fell to 55.3 percent in February from 56.4 percent in January.

The decline was unexpected. The consensus forecast of estimates collected by Marketwatch was for the index to rise to 56.7.

"While the overall rate of growth is slowing, the overall picture is improving as price increases and shortages are becoming less of a problem," said Norbert Ore, chair of the ISM factory survey.

Bond prices rose after the ISM data was released. See full story.

Readings above 50 indicate expansion. Despite the recent downtrend, the index has been above 50 for 21 straight months.

Josh Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at MFR Inc, said the ISM level in the first two months of the year is consistent with year-over-year GDP growth of slightly below 4.0 percent, "which seems to be a reasonable outcome for the first quarter."

New orders fell to 55.8 in February from 56.5 in January, while production fell to 56.7 from 57.8.

The employment index fell to 57.4 from 58.1.

Prices fell to 65.5 in February from 69.0 in January.

Inventories fell sharply to 48.6 from 52.8.

In a separate report, the Commerce Department said construction spending rose 0.7 percent in January.