Look at the last five(omit 2020 Q2) quarters covered in the table. Compare the most recent quarter to the same quarter in the previous year.

a) Which sector* had the largest percentage increase in profit (or largest decrease in loss)

b) Which sector had the smallest percentage increase in profit (or the largest percentage decrease in profit)?

c) Which sectors*, if any, experienced losses during any of the last four quarters covered in the table?

*Note: By "sector", I mean certain groups larger than an individual industry: These are: “Financial” (Row 10), “Utilities (Row 14), "Manufacturing" (Row 15), "Durable goods" (Row 16), "Nondurable goods" (Row 23) and Rows 28 through 32. The listings in Rows 17 through 22 and 24 through 27 (the rows which are most indented from the left margin) are industries, not sectors.

Line		2018				2019				2020
		Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Q1	Q2
1	Corporate profits with inventory valuation and capital consumption adjustments	2206	2225.3	2258.1	2282.5	2181.2	2263.2	2246.5	2311.3	2035	1808.2
2	Domestic industries	1670	1712.6	1765.6	1773.5	1696.8	1756.9	1731.9	1794.6	1561.9	1431.3
3	Financial1	428.7	426	420.8	420.8	454.2	463.8	456.8	473.4	431.2	470.7
4	Nonfinancial	1241.3	1286.7	1344.8	1352.7	1242.6	1293.2	1275.2	1321.2	1130.7	960.6
5	Rest of the world	536	512.7	492.5	509	484.4	506.2	514.5	516.6	473.1	376.9
6	Receipts from the rest of the world	858.2	879	848.2	879.6	847.2	879.4	877.3	880.8	790.5	650.9
7	Less: Payments to the rest of the world	322.2	366.3	355.7	370.6	362.8	373.2	362.7	364.2	317.4	274
8	Corporate profits with inventory valuation adjustment	2088.9	2112.5	2149.9	2176.8	2154.9	2246.4	2231.7	2294.9	2053.5	1826.9
9	Domestic industries	1552.9	1599.8	1657.4	1667.8	1670.5	1740.2	1717.2	1778.3	1580.4	1450
10	Financial	423.2	419.6	414.6	415.3	460.1	472.3	466.7	482.9	444.7	484.1
11	Federal Reserve banks	73.7	70.5	66.9	61	53	56.6	50.7	49.4	68.5	64.9
12	Other financial2	349.5	349.1	347.6	354.3	407.1	415.8	416	433.5	376.2	419.2
13	Nonfinancial	1129.7	1180.2	1242.8	1252.5	1210.4	1267.8	1250.5	1295.4	1135.7	966
14	Utilities	22.7	23.3	22.3	18.6	26.2	28.2	27.1	27.3	22.5	---
15	Manufacturing	276.2	348.1	365.3	360.9	324.5	344.9	341	335.7	302.2	---
16	Durable goods	147.6	183.9	187.3	164.9	188	193.1	174.2	170.1	157.8	---
17	Fabricated metal products	20.7	19.3	19.7	19.6	25.7	25.3	23.9	24.2	23	---
18	Machinery	16.6	22.3	18.8	18.3	22.9	29.6	27.1	26.1	20.9	---
19	Computer and electronic products	44.5	58.2	61.3	54	56.3	50.4	45.4	51.3	54.7	---
20	Electrical equipment, appliances, and components	12.3	11.8	11.2	8.3	10.4	12	12.5	10.9	7.9	---
21	Motor vehicles, bodies and trailers, and parts	0	0.1	5.8	-2.1	1.9	2.1	0.2	-2.1	-1.1	---
22	Other durable goods3	53.5	72.2	70.6	66.8	70.8	73.7	65.2	59.7	52.4	---
23	Nondurable goods	128.5	164.2	178	196	136.6	151.8	166.8	165.6	144.4	---
24	Food and beverage and tobacco products	48.4	52.9	51.8	37.2	45.7	47.8	51.6	48	50.4	---
25	Petroleum and coal products	13.8	21.3	29.6	59.2	6.2	16.2	21.7	25.8	15.9	---
26	Chemical products	41.6	62.4	67.1	72.5	55.9	57.2	61.3	58.8	57	---
27	Other nondurable goods4	24.7	27.7	29.6	27.1	28.8	30.6	32.2	33.1	21.2	---
28	Wholesale trade	111.3	94.9	103.9	112.9	103.9	110.5	113.4	117.4	108.3	---
29	Retail trade	149.5	137.7	157.5	141.2	155.5	165.6	166.8	184.2	167.1	---
30	Transportation and warehousing	48.5	46.6	52	64.2	54.7	54.4	59.5	57	37.8	---
31	Information	134.9	143.4	144	134.6	136.2	140	108.4	138.7	126.7	---
32	Other nonfinancial5	386.7	386.2	397.8	420.1	409.4	424.3	434.3	435.1	371	---
33	Rest of the world	536	512.7	492.5	509	484.4	506.2	514.5	516.6	473.1	376.9

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

Answer Please note that most recent quarter needs to be compa... View the full answer