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July 1, 2014 Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in June for the 13th consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 61st consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. The report was issued today by Bradley J. Holcomb, CPSM, CPSD, chair of the Institute... Read more »

July 10, 2014 Labor markets improved overall across the advanced economies, according to unemployment rates and employment growth data compiled and standardized by The Conference Board International Labor Comparisons (ILC) program for May 2014. Unemployment rates in May fell in four of the nine countries compared, and were unchanged in the remaining five.  Sweden saw... Read more »

July 10, 2014 Retail sales generally improved in June, helped by good weather and big discounts as retailers look to clear inventory for the back-to-school season. Costco Wholesale Corp. reported a 6% increase in June same-store sales, helped by higher fuel prices.  Its results topped Wall Street estimates. Excluding the impact of foreign exchange rates... Read more »

July 3, 2014 The labor market remains surprisingly and resiliently strong as evidenced by the gain of 288,000 new jobs created in June.  This is not just catch up after a bad winter.  It also reflects some gathering strength in the economy.  More consumer demand could drive more investment in capital (to give workers the... Read more »

July 3, 2014 June was a good month for two of the nation’s largest drugstore operators.  Walgreens reported sales of $6.3 billion for the month, an increase of 8.9% as compared to the same month in fiscal 2013, while Rite Aid realized a 3.9% same-store sales increase for the four weeks ended June 28. Total front-end... Read more »

July 7, 2014 Nearly 2,000 Home Depot stores in the U.S. began offering a wide range of connected home devices that run the Wink platform on July 7. The Wink platform unites close to 60 devices, creating the broadest set of connected home products in one ecosystem, with fifteen leading manufacturers of home products ranging... Read more »

July 7, 2014 The Conference Board Employment Trends Index (ETI) increased in June.  The index now stands at 119.62, up from 119.03 (an upward revision) in May.  This represents a 6.3 percent gain in the ETI compared to a year ago. “The rapid increase in the Employment Trends Index in recent months suggests that strong... Read more »

June 26, 2014 With winter’s polar vortex a distant memory, summer’s warm temperatures have consumers celebrating in front of the grill. According to NRF’s Independence Day Survey, more than 153 million consumers – nearly two-thirds of those celebrating – are set to observe the Fourth of July holiday with a cookout, barbeque or picnic, spending... Read more »

June 27, 2014 WTI expects July 2014 to trend similar to last year for the U.S. as a whole.  The East will trend near normal or cooler than normal, while warmer than normal temperatures will be confined to the West.  Overall, the peak of the summer is shaping up to be very similar to 2013... Read more »