GLOBAL SALES HIT BOTTOM: No Rebound, but Little Room Left to Fall 
“Global transaction volume continues at a remarkably sluggish rate—and that is good news. Although Q2’09 sales are now estimated at $48.6 b worldwide, a 67 % year-over-year drop, the decline from Q1 volume could be as little as 5%, indicating a plateau has been reached, although there is no recovery in sight. Quarterly volume projected for the Americas is almost negligible at $8 b, a 6% consecutive drop but an 83 % fall yoy. EMEA is likely to take the most dramatic hit from the first quarter, down 24 % at $17.3 b and 71 % yoy. But with Australia, Japan and China beginning to stabilize, Asia Pacific sales are expected to be positive with an 18 % gain on the prior quarter at $23.3 b. That’s nearly half of estimated global volume and marks Asia Pacific’s first quarterly lead in sales worldwide—even as the Americas accounted for just one-sixth of that volume.”