It took about two weeks for the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program, a federal aid package aimed at shoring up small and medium-size businesses, to run out of money after it was launched on April 3. Now, the Senate has approved another $310 billion for the program. The new round of financing ... READ MORE >
coronavirus
New relief is approved for hospitals, but challenges remain
Over the past few weeks, we have been reaching out to our clients as well as hosting several virtual CFO Forums. Through those interactions, our clients in the health care sector have been painting a grim picture of the financial effects of the coronavirus. As patients infected with the virus have ... READ MORE >
Government devotes another $484 billion in aid, much of it for small businesses. But it may not be enough.
Aid to small business and hospitals comprise the bulk of the $484 billion aid package passed by the Senate on Tuesday to mitigate the economic fallout from the COVID-19 public health emergency. This measure, which is expected to be approved by the House on Thursday and signed into law, brings total aid ... READ MORE >
Existing home sales declined 8.5% in March as headwinds grew
Existing home sales fell to 5.27 million in March, down 8.5% from the 12-month high set in February of 5.76 million. While most economists expected a decline as the economic toll of the coronavirus set in, March was still a strong month. For comparison, existing home sales in March 2019 were 5.23 million ... READ MORE >
Some hospitals could be left out as second round of Provider Relief Fund is distributed
The $2.2 trillion CARES Act was passed to provide a range of financial assistance to Americans and businesses struggling with the economic fallout from the coronavirus. Included in this package was the $100 billion Provider Relief Fund to help America’s ailing health care sector. But not all ... READ MORE >
Wearables and the fight against COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, research organizations are trying to leverage wearable technology and crowd-source data to aid in the fight against the global pandemic. But many are wondering if giving up on user privacy for the greater good comes with a price. Tracking ... READ MORE >
Amid chaos of coronavirus, food and beverage sector continues to adapt
The retail sales figures released this week painted a grim picture of consumer spending and the state of the economy amid the mounting human and economic toll of the coronavirus. But a deeper look at the data reveals some profound changes taking place that will most likely endure once the pandemic ... READ MORE >
Housing market follows the severe contraction of the broader economy
The residential construction and home improvement industries, which were so promising heading into 2020, now will be among those sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus. The National Association of Home Builders’ monthly confidence index was in free fall in April, plunging 42 points month over month to ... READ MORE >
With lifeline from Paycheck Protection Program cut short, real estate turns to bankers for liquidity
The Paycheck Protection Program, a $350 billion government effort to help small and medium-size businesses weather the coronavirus pandemic, is hitting its funding limit less than two weeks after it was launched on April 3. "At the present run-rate, we're going to be out of money," Lawrence Kudlow, ... READ MORE >
Paycheck Protection Program: Demand for aid far outstrips policy package
The Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, the signature policy response to provide bridge financing to small firms with 500 or fewer employees in one location, has exhausted the first $349 billion tranche in aid provided by Congress and the Trump administration. Based ... READ MORE >