News
Expectations Index Falls Below Recession Threshold
Consumer confidence declined seven points in February to 98.3. The Consumer Confidence Index, which fell for the third consecutive month, exhibited the largest monthly decrease since August 2021. The index is now at the bottom of the range that has prevailed since 2022. The Present Situation Index, reflecting current business and labor market conditions, fell […]
Lilly: 2017 Tax Reform Makes Four New U.S. Manufacturing Sites Possible
press release. The fourth site will “extend [Lilly’s] global parenteral manufacturing network for future injectable therapies.” The investment in the four sites will bring Lilly’s total U.S. capital expansion commitment to more than $50 billion since 2020. Lilly—which in recent years has made $23 billion worth of investments in new research and manufacturing sites in …
Ford Gives Breast Cancer Patients a Comfortable Ride
Company account, she sketched out a design for a seat belt attachment that could be manufactured by the automaker. With the help of her writing partner and manager, she pitched the idea to Ford. The result: Ford’s recently released SupportBelt, now available to patients nationwide—for free. Ford takes it on: Ford, which has a 30-year …
Building Permits Hold Steady, But Decline Year-Over-Year
Building permits inched up 0.1% in January but fell 1.7% over the year. Permits for single-family homes in January stayed the same from December but declined 3.4% over the year. Meanwhile, permits for buildings with five or more units fell 1.4% from December but rose 0.2% over the year. In January, housing starts plunged 9.8% […]
Median Home Prices Climb Across All U.S. Regions
Existing home sales decreased 4.9% in January, but improved 2.0% from January 2024, the fourth consecutive monthly year-over-year increase. Housing inventory grew to 1.18 million units, reflecting a 3.5% rise from December and a 16.8% jump from last year. The median existing home price was $396,900, up 4.8% from last year, with all four U.S. […]
Supply Chains Busy and Delays Persist
The S&P Global Flash U.S. Manufacturing PMI rose slightly from 51.2 in January to 51.6 in February, the sharpest increase since June. Factory production grew for the second consecutive month and at the steepest rate in nearly a year. On the other hand, growth in new orders and employment weakened. Meanwhile, supplier delivery times lengthened […]
Rising Inflation Concerns Add to Consumer Uncertainty
Consumer sentiment fell for a second month in a row in February, declining nearly 10% from January to an index reading of 64.7. All five components fell this month, led by a 19% drop in buying conditions for durables due to looming tariff anxiety. Both views of personal finances and the short-run economic outlook declined […]
