For a while last year, it seemed that yields on U.S. Treasuries were on an upward path as trade tensions with China eased and recession fears calmed. But all that has changed as fears over the outbreak of the Wuhan virus in China have combined with moderated corporate earnings and continued delays over the Boeing 737 Max to suppress those yields. On ... READ MORE >
As Wuhan virus spreads, American hospitals need to be prepared
Even though the mysterious respiratory virus that has hit China is in its early stages, it is leaving a mounting human and economic toll. Already, six people have died and 291 have been infected by the Wuhan virus in China, many of them health workers caring for the sick. And on Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first case ... READ MORE >
Private equity looks for recession-proof deals
These are flush times for American private equity funds. Through November, they have raised more capital than any other fiscal year. But a good portion of that cash has not been put to use – yet. One reason is that many takeover targets have simply become too expensive, a dynamic reflected in the drop in deal activity for 2019. According to RSM Bloomberg, ... READ MORE >
How senior housing developers can respond to sagging demand
Developers eager to fill the demand for senior housing created by an aging U.S. population are facing a new and unexpected challenge in the form of rapidly advancing technologies that allow seniors to stay in their homes longer. It’s called “aging in place,” and a host of disruptors have set their sights on this growing market as a participants across ... READ MORE >
The mounting toll of cyberattacks on rural hospitals
Rural health providers are increasingly under cyberattack. Enticed by valuable stores of health records and sometimes porous security, hackers infiltrate a hospital’s IT system and encrypt its data, making it unusable until the provider pays a ransom. If the hospital doesn’t pay up, the hackers can sell the data on the dark web to those who use it for ... READ MORE >
Health care jobs market remains tight, government data shows
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey released by the government last week underscored continued tightness in the health care labor market through June. Health care organizations added 60,000 employees, after accounting for employee departures. Total job openings across the ecosystem increased by 10,000. Since 2014, total job openings in health care ... READ MORE >
When addressing nursing shortage, look to your own ranks first
The market for skilled workers, administrators and support staff remains tight in U.S. health care as providers struggle to fill jobs, particularly critical roles such as nurses. The numbers have not appreciably improved since the last time I wrote about this topic: Total health care job openings have remained around 1.1 million to 1.2 million since December ... READ MORE >
Want a fuller picture of biotech’s promise? Look beyond the public markets
A recent Wall Street Journal article highlights the underperformance of the Nasdaq Biotech Index against other benchmarks. The article implies the weak returns are due to a lack of blockbuster biotech therapies; at the same time, the piece underscores the robust private funding activity within the biotech ecosystem. The ecosystem and the capital markets in ... READ MORE >
IMF cuts global growth outlook to lowest since 2009
The International Monetary Fund recently revised downward its forecast for global growth to 3.3 percent from 3.5 percent, the lowest level since 2009. Business executives, advisors, and other leaders must understand the fundamental changes that informed the revision and how those changes may impact their organizations. Before we dig in to the report ... READ MORE >
Biotech needs cash in hesitant market
Life science companies require a cash infusion at least twice as big as that of 2018 to fund research and development at a time when investors remain skittish, according to a Bloomberg analysis. The analysis suggests that over 100 biotech companies, including makers of oncology therapies and treatments for other life-threatening conditions, need to raise ... READ MORE >