July's Rail Traffic Data As Clear As Mud

During times of economic uncertainty, many investors look far and wide for data to help make sense of it all. Unfortunately, rail traffic data is not a big help today. Much like that classic Monopoly illustration of a man with his palms out and seeming to shrug, it is hard to get much useful information on the economy these days from the traditional measurements and statistics. Perhaps that is just how things are today; there are certainly signs that recovery continues to crawl along, but there are plenty "danger" signs flashing along the way. 

Another Dip Down 
The strong recovery trend in rail traffic is definitely over and done with for now, as July's results showed another decline (the second in four months). Rail traffic in July fell 1% from last year's level, while it did climb 0.7% on a sequential basis. Canadian traffic was quite a bit stronger, up 3.7% from last year, and intermodal was strong both in the U.S. and Canada. 


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