Highest Consumer Confidence Since July 2021 Highest consumer confidence since 2021, not since the outset of the pandemic has consumers’ assessment of the present situation been stronger than it is today. Meanwhile, amid broad improvement in labor market measures, overall consumer confidence rose to its highest level since July 2021, and expectations rose as well. The [...]
Chicago Business Barometer Signaled Expansion 33 Consecutive Months The MNI Chicago Business Barometer surged to an eleven month high in November, up 8 points from October. The months result, sitting above the neutral 50-mark, means the Barometer signaled expansion 33 consecutive months. Driving the November increase were soaring orders and higher output. After easing in [...]
Consumer Confidence Hit Highest Level Since 2000 Consumer Confidence hit highest level since 2000. Only in eleven individual months since 1967 have we seen confidence higher than it is today. Nine of those months were in the year 2000. The other two were in 1999. This is the thin air of high peaks... The euphoria [...]
Texas Manufacturing Activity Maintained Strong Momentum in August Texas manufacturing activity maintained strong momentum in August, reports the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey for August 2018, according to business executives responding to the survey. Perceptions of broader business conditions remained highly positive. Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) Declined in July [...]
North American Steel Output Increased North American steel output increased by 4.9% year on year in March to 10.29 million tons. Steel production in the USA inched up by 5.3% year on year to 7.26 million tons. AMM Global crude steel production rose by 4% year on year in March, partly attributed to Chinese production. [...]
Timken Steel Raised SBQ Prices In a leading move, Timken Steel raised SBQ prices. The Canton, Ohio company raised its special bar quality (SBQ) product prices by $50-$150 per ton effective Wednesday March 28, 2018. This comes after SBQ mills in the USA slated base price increases effective with April 1 shipments. US producers raised SBQ [...]
The Conference Board Index Shows Consumer Confidence Increased Sharply in March Consumer confidence increased sharply in March to its highest level since December 2000,” said Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators at the Conference Board. “Consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions improved considerably. Consumers also expressed much greater optimism regarding the short-term [...]
Led by declines in production related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index or CFNAI decreased to +0.02 in December from +0.27 in November. The index’s 3 month moving average, CFNAI-MA3 edged up from -0.13 in November to -0.11 in December, its tenth consecutive reading below zero which suggests that growth in national economic activity [...]
Happy days ... today marks the first day of winter. We have not had any measurable snow in Cleveland yet this season, however, a strong storm is bearing down on us from the plains. It is likely we will get snow today and through the weekend. The good news is now the days will begin [...]
