Port2port News Service 
Oct 26, 2009
 
The "S" index rose 1.2% in September, its fourth increase in a row and second straight above 1%
 
Israel's economic performance index, or "S" index, rose 1.2% in September, its fourth increase in a row and second straight above 1%, the Bank of Israel said on Thursday.
 
The increase is based on figures for industrial output, revenues from the sale of goods and services, the export of services and the import of goods. The export of goods went down during the month.
 
The central bank said in a statement that: "The rise in the index ... reinforces estimates that there has been a positive turn in economic activity,"

(% change from prior month)

	Sept 2009	Aug 2009*	Sept 2008
"S" index	+ 1.2	+ 1.1	- 1.0
Exports of services index	+ 2.0	+ 0.3	n/a
Exports of goods index	- 1.5	+ 3.3	n/a
Imports index	+ 4.6	- 1.0	n/a

 
 
The central bank also revised August's "S" index from an initially reported rise of 1.3% and July's index to a rise of 0.9% from 1.1%.
 
The Bank of Israel forecasts zero growth in 2009. The economy grew at an annual rate of 0.8% in the second quarter.
 
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