The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for Brazil, together with Fundacao Getulio Vargas (TCB/FGV Brazil LEI), increased 0.8 percent in July. The index now stands at 120.3 (2004 = 100), following a 1.7 percent decline in June and a 1.7 percent decline in May. Five of the eight components contributed positively to the index in July.

Brazil is becoming the darling of the beauty industry, capturing the attention of a growing number of international companies. Already the third largest in the world, the Brazilian cosmetic & personal care products market is predicted to overtake Japan to take number two position by 2020. However, Organic Monitor research finds not all international brands will be successful because of the peculiarities of the Brazilian market.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for Brazil, together with Fundacao Getulio Vargas (TCB/FGV Brazil LEI), decreased 0.2 percent in June. The index now stands at 121.1 (2004 = 100), following a 1.8 percent decline in May and a 0.4 percent decline in April. Four of the eight components contributed positively to the index in June.

Given the Size and Growth of Colombia's Generic Sector There is Potential for Both Domestic and International Companies, According to Findings from Decision Resources Group

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for Brazil, together with Fundacao Getulio Vargas (TCB/FGV Brazil LEI), decreased 1.5 percent in May. The index now stands at 121.7 (2004 = 100), following a 0.4 percent decline in both April and March. Two of the eight components contributed positively to the index in May.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for Brazil, together with Fundacao Getulio Vargas (TCB/FGV Brazil LEI), increased 0.1 percent in March. The index now stands at 124.9 (2004 = 100), following a 0.6 percent decline in both February and January. Three of the eight components contributed positively to the index in March.

"Stock prices and trade drove the Leading Economic Index slightly higher in March, but continued short-term volatility in the index suggests that Brazil's economic growth will, at best, be very modest in the foreseeable future," says Paulo Picchetti, Economist at FGV/IBRE. "Meanwhile, weaknesses in industrial output outweighed the benefits of continued resiliency in the labor market, resulting in a slight decline in the Coincident Economic Index, which measures current conditions in the economy."

In recent weeks Brazil released the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) result for 2013. With growth of 0.7% in the fourth quarter, the country reached the final result of 2013 at 2.3%. The numbers released by IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) positively surprised analysts and entrepreneurs around the world.

The annual figures show Brazil to be one of the most progressive countries on the world scene. With GDP growth of 2.3% in 2013, Brazil ranked ahead of territories like the United States, South Africa, and the UK (each with growth of 1.9%); Japan (1.6%); Mexico (1.1%); Germany (0.4 %); France (0.3%); Belgium (0.2%); Spain (-1.2 %); Italy (-1.9%); and the average for the Eurozone (-0.4%). Only China (7.7%) and South Korea (2.8%) had better results.

Raising customer awareness on cloud migration strategies and ability to offer diverse implementation options vital for growth

Although the Latin American hosted and cloud solutions market for contact centers is still in its nascent phase, the market is picking up pace as early adopters emerge. The deployment of a mix of on-premises and off-site tools is paving the way for hosted and cloud models to gain acceptance in the region, especially in Chile, Peru, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for Brazil, together with Fundacao Getulio Vargas (TCB/FGV Brazil LEI), decreased 1.4 percent in February. The index now stands at 124.9 (2004 = 100), following a 0.8 percent decline in January and a 0.3 percent increase in December. Only one of the eight components contributed positively to the index in February.

Jing Sima, Economist at The Conference Board, said, "The Leading Economic Index declined in February for the second consecutive month, and its six-month growth has fallen back to negative territory. Despite the sharp improvement in the fourth quarter GDP, the persistent and broad-based weakness in the LEI suggests that that pace of growth is unlikely to last through the first half of this year."

Rising Demand for Smartphones, Tablets and Televisions, Coupled With Increasing Usage of POS Units and Digital Signage to Drive China Display Market

Overcapacity of Chinese boxboard drives down global operating rates, placing competitive pressures on North American and Western European suppliers

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for China increased 0.6 percent in October to 341.7 (2004 = 100), following a 1.6 percent increase in September and a 0.9 percent increase in August. Total loans issued by financial institutions made the largest positive contribution to the index, followed by the 5000 industry enterprises diffusion index: raw materials supply index*, the (inverted) PMI supplier delivery index, and the consumer expectations index*. Total floor space started and the PMI new export orders index declined in October.