Midwest Economic Index Up in February

The Midwest Economic Index up in February to +0.44 from +0.34 in January. Three of the four broad sectors of non-farm business activity and three of the five Seventh Federal Reserve District states increased from January.

March 2018 Manufacturing ISM Report on Business: Overall Economy Grew for 107th Consecutive Month

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) released its March 2018 Manufacturing ISM Report on Business and reports economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in March and the overall economy grew for the 107th consecutive month, according to the nations executives responding to the survey.

The report was issued by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, CPM, Chair of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee:

The March PMI registered 59.3 percent, a decrease of 1.5 percentage points from the February reading. The New Orders Index decreased, the Production Index decreased, the Employment Index decreased and the Inventories Index also decreased. All by small percentages. It appears there are supply constraints, concerns over the impact of the sec. 232 tariffs, lack of availability of carriers and drivers. These concerns all weighed on the report.

USA Drill Rigs Running Slipped Last Week

The number of drill rigs running in the USA slipped by two last week, to 993, led by Texas, down by three. Canadian drilling fell by 27 rigs compared to the previous week, to 134. AMM

US Raw Steel Production Retreated Again Last Week

US raw steel production retreated again last week as mills operated at an ACUR of 76.2%. In the like period last year mills operated at an ACUR of 73.6%. Thus far this year mills have produced prox 22,592,000 tons compared to the prox 22,369,000 tons produced in the like period last year.

The US Census Bureau Monthly Advance Report on Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders for February 2018

  • New orders for manufactured durable goods in February, up three of the last four months, increased 3.1 percent.
  • Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, up nine of the last ten months, increased 0.9 percent.
  • Inventories of manufactured durable goods in February, up nineteen of the last twenty months, increased 0.4 percent.

US Employers Hired 103,000 Workers Last Month

US employers hired 103,000 workers last month, well below expectations of 193,000.  Although below the recent trend, the job gain in March supports the case for continued consumer spending. Job gains plus the 4.1 percent unemployment rate corroborate the call for a June interest rate hike. Wells Fargo

Infrastructure  X (Keystone & Dakota pipelines)                           Regulation Reform XX 1 in 2 out

Individual Tax Reform         XX                                                           Entitlement Reform

Business Tax Reform           XX                                                           Education Reform  X

Healthcare Reform                                                                              Veterans Administration Reform  X

Rebuild our Military            X                                                              Trade Reform  X

Secure our Borders (The Wall)          XX                                           Lead the world from the front  XX

Help for the poor    XX                                                                        Drain the swamp X as we speak

Peace through unmatchable strength                                             Support Israel  X

Destroy ISIS           XX                                                                           Extreme Vetting  XX

Conservative Supreme Court nominees XX                    American Jobs   XX

I will track these campaign promises and will check them off as each is accomplished adding those I have missed as they become apparent. This is quite an agenda and will be difficult to achieve all in one term but I believe the American people are behind him and know these things need to be done. Now, if he can get our legislators to support him instead of fighting him….

“MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN”

Have a great weekend…. God bless America!

Buy American made products whenever you can, it’s good for you, good for your friends and neighbors and good for our country.

If you are hiring…try to hire a veteran…. they are loyal, disciplined, hardworking…and they deserve our support.

By the way, if you wish to comment on my rants or offer any other insights you may have, you are encouraged to email me.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT ON IMMIGRANTS IN AMERICA…1907

In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed,  or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag…We have room for but one language here and that is the English language…and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”