The sub-indices suggest some stabilization in industrial activity and improvement in domestic demand, but a continued deteriorating external outlook.
The report said much of the improvement in business activity reflected an accelerated increase in new work placed with firms during January.
The eight-week study found that people who meditated showed a 43% improvement in telomerase activity, an enzyme that regulates telomere length, compared with a 3.7% gain in the group listening to music.
Service businesses showed a larger improvement, while export activity was slightly worse than the previous figures.
It remains to be seen what impact a perceived improvement in security could have on economic activity.
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They found that improvement was fastest when the patterns of activity closely resembled those produced during normal walking.
Spring marks the peak selling season for home improvement retailers with home construction and rebuilding activity picking up after the long, hard winter.
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On a positive note, the Beige Book acknowledged the improvement in real estate markets, indicating activity had expanded or remained steady in most districts.
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Stocks benefited from better-than-expected economic data in China, a strong reading on German economic sentiment and an improvement in a gauge of New York manufacturing activity.
Investable assets sitting in cash will erode your purchasing power as the economy slowly grinds toward improvement because prices of most goods and services will rise with economic activity.
Nonetheless, businesses do not anticipate a significant acceleration in activity anytime soon, as expectations regarding the outlook into mid-next year have shown no meaningful improvement.
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