ECONOMICS

US Manufacturing saw only two months in 2023 that were not in contraction and ended on a decidedly poor note with the final December print dropping to 47.9 (from 48.2 flash and 49.4 prior).

Source: Bloomberg

Across the board it was ugly with:

• Renewed contraction in output as orders fall at sharper pace

• Rates of inflation pick up

• Joint-fastest drop in employment since June 2020

Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global (more…)

Remember in November when Chicago PMI (more…)

With Christmas and New Year's celebrations upon us, many people currently stock up on their favorite drinks.

And what better way to toast on a special occasion than opening a bottle of champagne, one of France's proudest exports.

The United States and the UK are particularly fond of the exclusive sparkling wine from the Champagne region, having imported 33.7 and 28.1 million 750 milliliter bottles in 2022, respectively.

As Statista's Felix Richter shows in the chart below, based on data by the trade association Comité Champagne, most of the biggest import nations are located in Europe.

You will find more infographics at (more…)