18 FEB. 2011

ORDER BOOKS jumped +7.3% month-on-month to December according to latest national statistics, the third consecutive increase fuelled by export order books +8.2% increase and the Euro area's dynamic +10.9% following the previous month revised +0.7% rise.

New orders of Intermediate Goods moved down to +1.1% (from +5.5%) as orders of metals and metal products dived to -0.8% (from +9.1%) and chemical products fell -1.6% (from +4.5%). New orders of paper and paper products surged to +0.6% (from -0.3%). Capital Goods edged up +0.5% as new orders of machinery and equipment plunged -18.8%, a pause, as the previous month new orders had shot up +21.7%. Equally, new orders of IT products-electronic and optical equipment declined -14.2% (from +2.5%).

Durable Consumer Goods, up to +0.6% (from -8.2%) benefited from the automobile industry as new orders skyrocketed +59%. Inversely, new orders of Non Durable Consumer Goods deteriorated further and dropped -4.4% (from -2.1%) despite pharmaceutical products climb to -3.4% (from -5.2%). New orders of textile stayed nearly unchanged or +0.1% while clothing‘s moved up to +2.3% (from +1.2%) and offset a stronger component decline.