BEA Reports Third Quarter GDP Increased

According to the “third” and final estimate of third quarter GDP by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the value of goods and services produced by the nation’s economy, less the value of goods and services used up in production, adjusted for price changes, the third quarter GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.0 percent.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Fifth District Survey of Manufacturing Activity December 2015

Manufacturing activity grew modestly in December. The volume of new orders picked up while shipments flattened.

The US Commerce Department “Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders” for November 2015

  • New orders for manufactured durable goods in November were virtually unchanged from October.
  • Shipments of manufactured durable goods in November, up two of the last three months, increased 0.9 percent, following a 1.2 percent October decrease.
  • Inventories of manufactured durable goods in November, down six of the last seven months, decreased 0.3 percent, following a 0.3 percent October decrease.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas November Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey

Texas factory activity increased for a second month in a row in November after exhibiting weakness in the first three quarters.

US Raw Steel Production

US raw steel production in the week ending 12/19/15 was approx. 1,523,000 net tons at an ACUR of 63.7 percent. Through 12/19 adjusted production was approx. 85,000,000 tons at an ACUR of 71.2 percent, down 9.1 percent from the approx. 94,000,000 tons produced in the like period last year at an ACUR of 77.5 percent.

Well friends, it is Thursday afternoon and I am done for the week and the year. We would like to extend our best wishes to you all for the New Year 2016, a year filled with peace, good health and prosperity for you, for your families, for your employees, for our Armed Forces, for our Police and Fire departments.

Have a great holiday and a super 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.

Remember these tidbits as the election cycle grinds on:

  • Fast & Furious-Americans killed by guns supplied to the drug cartels…by the Department of Justice-Eric Holder presiding. The president was clueless. No one held accountable
  • Benghazi: Four Americans killed in an assault described as the result of a viral video. This was proved to be a false narrative. This was in fact, a planned act of terror. The president was clueless. No one even knows where he was as this went down. No one held accountable
  • “At this point, what difference does it make?” Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State
  • The IRS targeting of conservative groups and individuals. No one held accountable, Lois Lerner is on paid vacation and has refused to testify. The president was clueless. No one held accountable
  • Hillary using a private server for correspondence during her term as Secretary of State against the orders of the president. She thought “it would be more convenient…” Though the records were due when she left office, they were not submitted, subpoenas were issued, which she ignored for two years. Finally, she released 30,000 of some 60,000 alleged emails then she deleted the rest of the emails and will NOT turn over the server for investigation.