Ian Shepherdson Industrial Quotations

This report is stronger than it looks and is consistent with the industrial recovery gathering pace,

Production was steady, ... a real industrial recovery is still some way off.

The report suggests that industrial orders are trending higher as manufacturing recovers from the Asia crisis, ... There are no real signs of a slowdown.

It it too soon to be sure, but we think there is a good chance that the industrial sector has now fully adjusted to the summer's steep decline in confidence.

Every turning point has to start somewhere, and the evidence on the industrial sector is becoming overwhelming.

This hugely strong report will doubtless be cited as evidence that the housing market is not slowing. However, the extremely warm January weather surely distorted these data, just as it boosted retail sales and depressed industrial production.