Economy

Midsize business leaders in the United States are far less optimistic about the national economy now than they were in the years before the pandemic. That's according to JP Morgan Chase's 2023 midyear Business Leaders Outlook survey, which found 29% of leaders have a positive outlook

The Federal Reserve left U.S. interest rates unchanged, but signaled more hikes are in the cards with some hawkish projections for the economy.  James Knightley, chief international economist, says a "one-meeting pause makes little sense given the long lags involved with monetary police.  With the disinflationary tend set

Economic activity in the services sector expanded in May for the fifth consecutive month as the Services PMI registered 50.3%, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the latest Services ISM Report On Business. The sector has grown in 35 of the last 36 months, with the

Beer Institute and National Beer Wholesalers Association's biennial "Beer Serves America" report on the economic impact and importance of the American beer industry also found the industry contributes more than $409 billion to the U.S. economy, pays more than $132 billion in wages and nearly

Manufacturing is expected to expand at a slower pace than projected in December 2022, with revenue expected to increase about 1.7%, capital spending to inch upward (0.4%).  Manufacturers are currently using about 82% of their capacity.   Meanwhile, the Services part of the economic is also expected to expand

Service sector growth in April rose just a smidgen – 51.9% – but that was all it took for respondents to the Services Index of the Institute for Supply Management.  It was the fourth month in which the Services PMI showed by being above 50%. “There has been a slight uptick

You recall the drama a few weeks ago when customers drained Silicon Valley Bank of much of its deposits.  The Feds stepped in, seized the bank and arranged the sale to another institution. You might have thought the SVB brand was so tarnished that the new owner, First Citizens Bank,

You can ignore those voice of doom stories a lot of media outlets are carrying about bank lending to small business.  Yes, interest rates are up, so a small business that is borrowing now or renewing a loan now should expect to pay more.  But the money is there and

Transportation prices, as measured by the Logistics Managers Index, fell in February at the fastest rate in the index's 6-1/2 year history. The index was 36.1 for transportation costs, 5.9 percentage points lower than February and below the prior record established in December. “February is

Even though spot prices for some items are declining, key items remain well above 2021 levels, and brewers will face additional cost of goods sold (COGS) increases, beverage analysts at Rabobank are projecting. Other challenges facing brewers include: * Tight labor market conditions, which combined with higher inflation means employees have