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Press Release Archives | April 2005 Economic Index
For Immediate Release May 2, 2005
Contact: Cristi Allen
callen@decisionanalyst.com
Phone: 817-640-6166
Decision Analyst’s Economic Index Continues To Sink In April:
Stock Market And Consumer Confidence Both Hit
Arlington, Texas – April’s Index continues to decline; that’s
according to Decision Analyst’s latest U.S. Economic Index. In continuing
its slide, the Index fell an additional 3 points in April to 104, that’s
the lowest level in the Index’s 6-year history.
“For the past year the Index has been fluctuating between
expansion and contraction,” said Jerry W. Thomas, President and CEO of
Decision Analyst, a marketing research and marketing consulting firm. “If
the Index continues to decline, it will foreshadow a weaker economy, and
perhaps recession.”
The April Economic Index is looking even gloomier. Business activity took a
sharp 17-point decline, confidence in stocks took a 12-point decline, and
confidence in prices slumped an additional 9 points. Only confidence in
employment status and consumer purchase intent showed any increase (7 points
and 3 points, respectively).
“What started out as concern over gasoline prices has now infected the
stock market and business activities,” Thomas said. “Let’s
hope that the Index turns upward soon.”
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 conducted between the 20th and 27th of each month, and the Index is
immediately calculated from 9 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 Canada, the U.K.,
Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Mexico, and Australia. 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 stagnant 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 consumer opinion panels, with more than 5
million participants.
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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