Economy

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

For the fourth consecutive month, economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in February  following a 28-month period of growth, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. “The February Manufacturing PMI® registered 47.7%, 0.3 percentage point higher than the 47.4%

The Monterey County, Calif., wine and winegrape sector and the businesses that support the industry deliver a total economic contribution of $1.4 billion in annual economic activity for Monterey County’s economy, according to a new report commissioned by the Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers

Alcohol beverage wholesalers saw their sales fall 1.8% in November from a year ago and their inventories rise 22.6%, the Census Bureau reported. That 1.8% decline year-to-year was in sharp contrast to the 8.7% increase bev/al wholesalers logged a year earlier.  Bev/al wholesalers inventories