Still, the index is a further indication that the U.S. economy remains in a soft patch.
FORBES: Commerce Index Up 1% In June, More Sluggish Growth To Come
By midsummer, the U.S. economy saw a "soft patch" and faced sliding back into recession.
And the bottom line is that while a speed bump can be ignored, a soft patch cannot.
Over the past few weeks, evidence has mounted that the U.S. and China have entered a soft patch.
At worst, they suggest that the "soft patch" for the US economy might be turning into something worse.
As we approached the soft patch in June 2010, wholesale-level inflation eased to an annualized rate around 3 percent.
Mr Greenspan has talked about the economy going through a soft patch before.
Perhaps a trader or three recalled the difficulty experienced in the markets the last time the country encountered a soft patch.
FORBES: Wall Street Continues to Upgrade Stocks Despite Economic Concerns
To be sure, the country and the economy can ill afford anything more than a soft patch at the present time.
FORBES: Wall Street Continues to Upgrade Stocks Despite Economic Concerns
When America's growth weakened in mid-2004, the economy was widely thought to be in a soft patch that would soon pass.
Maybe it will be a rally in the dollar, the return of inflation, or another soft patch in the economic data.
The one was on his index finger was shattered and is now gone, nothing now but a soft patch of skin.
Better known as QE2, this program was designed to make darned sure that the soft patch ended as quickly as humanly possible.
FORBES: Some Investors Concerned We Could Be Entering Another Soft Patch
Scottish business is going through a "soft patch", with subdued growth in the second quarter of this year, a survey has suggested.
BBC: Scottish business going through soft patch, says survey
But if the soft patch turns out to be something a bit marshier, the recovery's foundations may not be as secure as many had thought.
So while the soft patch in the U.S. economy is certainly is a concern, the firm still thinks the recovery will prevail over the longer term.
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At the same time, the Central Bank has taken advantage of the economy's soft patch to cut its benchmark interest rate, from 12.5% in August to 11%.
And just like that, we could quickly be staring at another soft patch, which could leave employers deciding to hold off on making any new hires for a while longer yet.
Commercial real estate lags the broader economy, so many property owners are seeing the benefits from the climb out of recession now, even with the U.S. mired in a soft patch.
FORBES: Plenty Of Profit In Store For Commercial Real Estate
The large shipping, freight, and logistics company warned of a soft patch in the U.S. and internationally, but still reiterated it was on track hit or beat prior peak EPS this year.
FORBES: UPS Posts Record Q2 EPS But Spooks Investors With Soft Patch Talk
"This is going to stimulate a debate around whether we are going to have a soft patch, and ultimately, that debate is healthy, " said Charles Kantor, portfolio manager and managing director at Neuberger Berman.
One theme I keep hearing from bullish investors is that the Federal Reserve will not allow economic growth to slow to any degree (beyond a brief soft patch), without stepping in with another round of stimulus.
Recent economic signals have lent credence to the idea that the U.S. experienced a soft patch in the spring and early summer, rather than a downturn that put the country on a path back toward recession.
FORBES: Bernanke Letter Gives Stocks A Lift To Close Rocky Week
It was another week of shockingly negative economic reports, which you might think has Wall Street economists worried that the economy is running into something more than just a brief soft patch (their popular term of recent weeks).
Mortgage rates remain at or near all-time lows and ongoing traction in this aspect of the U.S. economy could become more constructive for growth in the months ahead relative to the soft patch of the past several months.
FORBES: FuturePath's Lesh: Gold Slides With Other Markets In 'Risk-Off' Trade
As industrial activities are likely to stay muted in the first quarter, real oil demand may hit a soft patch before picking up again in the second, Barclays analysts led by Sijin Cheng in Singapore wrote in an 11 page report dated Feb. 6.
While Japan suffered the direct impact of a massive tsunami, which also caused a nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the U.S. saw production hit by supply chain disruptions, as Japan provides many of the intermediate goods needed to build cars. (Read Bernanke Fed Blames Commodities And Japan For Soft Patch).
FORBES: Toyota Hitting Bottom, Posts Big Loss But Raises Outlook
So, while there has yet to be any concrete evidence that the economy is actually losing steam right now, with lots of people talking about another soft patch, we will want to pay particularly close attention to the upcoming data such as the ISM reports, the jobs numbers, and the commentary from corporations when they report earnings.
FORBES: Some Investors Concerned We Could Be Entering Another Soft Patch
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