The Conference Board Leading Economic Index Increased in September The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the US increased 0.5 percent in September following a 0.4 percent August increase and a 0.7 percent increase in July. The LEI improved further in September, suggesting the US business cycle remains on a strong growth trajectory heading into [...]
Increasing Raw Material Costs Driving SBQ Prices Up Increasing raw material costs driving SBQ prices up by $1 per hundredweight ($20/per ton) across all grades with market participants reporting lead times for hot rolled bar that extend into early February 2019. AMM's price assessment for 1 inch round 1000 series hot rolled bar was at [...]
Small Business Optimism Slipped in September Small business optimism slipped 0.9 points in September but remains near an all-time high. Tighter labor markets are pushing compensation costs higher and many businesses are passing on those higher costs. Wells Fargo US Raw Steel Production Retreated Again Last Week US raw steel production retreated again last week, [...]
The Dow Jones Industrial Average Rose to a New Record High The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose to a new record high on Tuesday while major indexes in other regions of the world struggled, a sign investors' growing divergence in expectations between growth in the US and elsewhere. WSJ ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Hits 21-Year High [...]
