Semapa paga 148 milhões pela Imedexa na primeira compra fora do país

[Info.]

8:30am 08/12/04 U.S. JULY EX-AUTO SALES UP 0.2% VS. 0.4% EXPECTED
8:30am 08/12/04 U.S. JULY AUTO SALES UP 2.4%; GASOLINE SALES OFF 0.5%
8:30am 08/12/04 U.S. JULY IMPORT PRICE INDEX UP 0.2%, EX-OIL UP 0.1%
8:30am 08/12/04 U.S. JULY IMPORT PETROLEUM PRICES RISE 0.9%
8:30am 08/12/04 U.S. JULY EXPORT PRICE INDEX UP 0.4%, EX-AG UP 0.6%
8:30am 08/12/04 U.S. JULY AGRICULTURAL EXPORT PRICES FALL 1.0

8:30am 08/12/04 U.S. CONTINUING JOBLESS CLAIMS DOWN 5,000 TO 2.90 MLN
8:29am 08/12/04 U.S. WEEKLY JOBLESS CLAIMS DOWN 4,000 TO 333,000
8:29am 08/12/04 U.S. 4-WEEK AVG. JOBLESS CLAIMS DOWN 4,250 TO 339,250

8:30am 08/12/04 U.S. JUNE RETAIL SALES REVISED HIGHER TO 0.5% DECLINE
8:30am 08/12/04 WITH REVISIONS, RETAIL SALES IN LINE WITH ESTIMATES
8:29am 08/12/04 U.S. JULY RETAIL SALES UP 0.7% VS. 1.1% EXPECTED

ECONOMIC REPORT: Jobless claims at five-week low
By Gregory Robb, CBS Marketwatch.com
Last Update: 9:42 AM ET Aug. 12, 2004

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - First-time claims for state unemployment benefits in the most recent week fell to their lowest level in five weeks, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

The number of initial claims in the week ending August 7 fell 4,000 to 333,000. It's the lowest level since the week ended July 3.

The decline was unexpected. The consensus forecast of Wall Street economists was for claims to rise 2,000 to 338,000.

Claims in the previous week were revised to a decrease of 9,000 to 337,000 compared with the initial estimate of a fall of 11,000 to 336,000.

Weekly jobless claims data are extremely volatile, so economists recommend looking at longer trends, such as the four-week moving average, to get a better handle on the labor market.

The average number of workers filing state unemployment claims over the past four weeks fell 4,250 to 339,250.

A Labor Department official said there were no special factors in the release.

Economists were not impressed with the drop in claims.

"The claims numbers have been in a fairly narrow range for the past few weeks and do not do much to change the labor market outlook," said John Shin, economist at Lehman Brothers.

Meanwhile, the number of Americans receiving unemployment checks fell by 5,000 in the week ending July 31 to 2.9 million.

The four-week moving average of continuing claims fell 14,500 to 2.88 million, the lowest since June 2001.

The insured unemployment rate was unchanged at 2.3 percent.

In a separate release, the department said import prices rose 0.2 percent in July on the back of higher oil prices.

The Commerce Department also reported that retail sales rose 0.7 percent in July.


ECONOMIC REPORT: Retail sales rebound in July; Revisions show June sales weren't as awful as thought
By Rex Nutting, CBS.MarketWatch.com
Last Update: 9:04 AM ET Aug. 12, 2004

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - U.S. retail sales rose a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in July, rebounding from a disappointing decline in June, the Commerce Department estimated Thursday.

Sales were powered by a 2.4 percent gain in auto sales. Excluding autos, sales rose a modest 0.2 percent.

Retail sales are up 8.3 percent year-to-date. Read the full release.

Economists were expecting slightly better gains in July, but upward revisions to June sales brought the sales level back into line with expectations.

Retail sales fell 0.5 percent in June, revised from the previous estimate of a 1.1 percent decline. Ex-auto sales rose 0.3 percent in June, rather than the decline of 0.3 percent previously reported.

According to a survey conducted by CBS MarketWatch, economists were expecting July sales to rise 1.1 percent and ex-autos to rise 0.4 percent. See Economic Calendar.

In a separate report, the Labor Department said the four-week average of new jobless claims fell to 339,250 as the volatile weekly claims figure fell to 333,000, a five-week low. See full story.

The Labor Department also reported import prices rose a modest 0.2 percent in July, with imports excluding petroleum up 0.1 percent. Export prices gained 0.4 percent. See full story.

Later, the Commerce Department will report on June inventories. A 0.6 percent gain is expected.

July retail sales were mixed, with most sectors reporting decent gains.

The report adds credence to the argument that the June swoon in the U.S. economy was, as the Federal Reserve said Tuesday, a temporary softening in an otherwise strong expansion. And with the upward revisions to June's sales, it's apparent that June wasn't nearly the disaster that some had declared.

"Retail sales are sluggish," said Robert Brusca, chief economist for FAO Economics. With ex-auto sales up just 0.2 percent in July and 0.3 percent in June, "this is barely positive growth relative to inflation," he said.

On the contrary, sales were strong, said Rick MacDonald, economist at Action Economics. "The July strength, and upward revision to June, has helped offset much of the initial June weakness. A bounce has materialized in July in all but the nonfarm payroll data, and it is evident in both sales and production measures."

For the most part, durable goods had good sales in July.

Autos rebounded from June's 3 percent decline as automakers piled on the incentives that buyers have come to expect.

Furniture store sales climbed a healthy 1.1 percent. Sales at electronics and appliance stores gained 0.2 percent, while sales at building material and hardware stores dropped 1.1 percent, recovering from a record surge earlier in the year.

Sales of nondurable goods were also mostly OK.

General merchandise store sales rose 1 percent, including a tiny 0.2 percent gain at department stores.

Bars and restaurant sales rose 0.6 percent, while grocery store sales gained 0.1 percent.

Sales at gasoline stations dropped 0.5 percent, likely the result of lower pump prices. Excluding gasoline, retail sales gained 0.8 percent.

Sales at health care and personal care stores dropped 0.3 percent.

Sales at leisure-time stores selling sporting goods, music, books and hobby supplies rose 1.3 percent.

Clothing specialty store sales dropped 0.1 percent.

Sales at catalog, online retailers and other nonstore outlets rose 0.3 percent.


ECONOMIC REPORT: Import prices up 0.2% in July; Oil prices rebound after June decline
By Gregory Robb, CBS Marketwatch.com
Last Update: 8:32 AM ET Aug. 12, 2004

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Prices of goods and services imported into the United States rose 0.2 percent in July as oil prices rebounded after falling in the previous month, the Labor Department said Thursday.

This is the ninth increase in the past ten months.

The dollar weakened during the month, helping to boost import price inflation since a weaker greenback makes goods priced from other countries more expensive.

The consensus forecast of Wall Street economists was for a 0.4 percent rise in import prices in July.

Import prices in June fell a revised 0.1 percent compared with the initial estimate of a 0.2 percent decline.

Crude oil prices rose 0.9 percent, reversing a 0.9 percent decline in June. Petroleum prices are up 29.5 percent over the past year.

Excluding petroleum, import prices rose 0.1 percent in July after remaining steady in the previous month.

Prices of imported capital goods and imported industrial supplies fell 0.1 percent. Imported auto prices rose 0.1 percent.

Export prices rose 0.4 percent in July after falling 0.7 percent in June.

Prices received for agricultural goods fell 1.0 percent.

In the past 12 months, import prices are up 5.5 percent. Over that time, export prices are up 4.4 percent.

By region, prices of Japanese imports rose 0.4 percent, the largest increase since December 2003. Prices of Canadian fell 0.2 percent, the first decline since October 2003. Prices of imports from the European Union rose 0.3 percent, while Latin American imports rose 0.8 percent.

In a separate report issued Thursday, the Labor Department said weekly initial jobless claims fell 4,000 to 333,000.

[Info.]

9:59am 08/12/04 U.S. JUNE INVENTORIES UP 0.9% VS. 0.6% EXPECTED
10:00am 08/12/04 RISE IN U.S. JUNE INVENTORIES LARGEST IN 4 YEARS
10:00am 08/12/04 U.S. JUNE BUSINESS SALES UP 0.1%
10:00am 08/12/04 U.S JUNE INVENTORIES-SALES RATIO RISES TO 1.31 VS. 1.30

ECONOMIC REPORT: U.S. inventories building up; Stockpiles grow at fastest pace in four years
By Rex Nutting, CBS.MarketWatch.com
Last Update: 10:01 AM ET Aug. 12, 2004

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Inventories of unsold goods rose 0.9 percent at U.S. businesses in June, the biggest increase in four years, the Commerce Department estimated Thursday.

Business sales increased 0.1 percent, the weakest since April. The inventory-to-sales ratio rose to 1.31 from a record low 1.30, the first increase in more than a year. The ratio was 1.38 a year ago.

The typical business has about 40 days worth of sales on hand.

Economists surveyed by CBS MarketWatch were expecting inventories to rise 0.6 percent in June.

Much of the data in the report had been released before. What's new is the data on the retail sector, where sales fell 0.5 percent in June while inventories rose 1.1 percent. The inventory-to-sales ratio rose to 1.56 from 1.54. It's unchanged from a year ago.

Earlier Thursday, the department reported retail sales increased 0.7 percent in July. The retail inventory data lag behind the sales data by about a month.

Auto inventories increased 2.1 percent in June as sales tumbled 3 percent. Auto sales turned higher in July, rising 2.4 percent.

Excluding autos, retail inventories in June increased 0.6 percent while ex-auto sales rose 0.3 percent.

Elsewhere, manufacturing inventories increased 0.7 percent in June as sales also rose 0.7 percent. The inventory-to-sales ratio remained at 1.23.

Wholesale inventories increased 1.1 percent while sales were flat. The inventory-to-sales ratio rose to 1.15 from 1.13.

Some of the increase in inventories is likely desired by firms, who have seen their supply chains tighten as demand grew faster than expected. Over the past decade, inventories have gotten leaner and leaner as companies deploy new techniques that allow them to adjust production to sales almost instantly.

No company wants to keep valuable goods idle for long, but none wants to lose sales because their stocks are depleted, either.

If the rise in inventories is unwelcome, it would lead to a cut back in new orders and hence production.