U.S. manufacturing activity accelerated at its fastest pace in more than six years in December, according to the IHS Markit U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index released on Monday. … READ MORE >
Covid-19
5 trends from defense technology companies’ Q3 earnings calls
Defense technology company executives remain agile, anticipating future government spending trends, monitoring key supply chain risks, and investing in rapidly advancing technologies. Support for defense funding positions the sector for a strong 2021. … READ MORE >
5 trends from government services companies’ Q3 earnings calls
Trends among government services companies show a sector that has weathered the pandemic relatively well, positioning it for a strong 2021. … READ MORE >
The U.S. external sector: Trade channel to support 2021 recovery
We expect the trade channel to be a major part of the 2021 growth narrative as the Biden administration mends fences with the major American trade partners, excluding China, early next year. In fact, one can already observe the stirring in animal spirits in the global economy as the nascent … … READ MORE >
The $900 billion coronavirus relief package is a necessary start. But first it needs to be enacted.
RSM’s chief economist, Joseph Brusuelas, analyzed what the developments around the coronavirus relief package mean and commented on the state of the economy in this interview on Wednesday with Yahoo! Finance. … READ MORE >
5 things to know this week in life sciences: Week of Dec. 21
With approval of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine last week for emergency use, many of us are looking forward to getting vaccinated. But this is also a good time to reflect on the decades of work that laid the groundwork for this lightning fast vaccine development effort. … READ MORE >
Late year fiscal aid lifts growth prospects for 2021
Congress on Dec. 21 passed a $2.3 trillion year-end spending bill, including $1.4 trillion to fund the federal government through September 2021 and a $900 billion rescue package to provide direct fiscal aid to households and businesses equal to 4.25% of GDP. This represents the second-largest economic aid measure in … … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Coronavirus patients overwhelm hospitals and their workers
The resurgence of the coronavirus not only threatens to overwhelm hospitals and the number of beds they have to treat patients, but it also puts enormous strain on the workers themselves and their ability to manage cases. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: The vanishing worker
The domestic labor market is approaching a potential inflection point for millions of workers. The number of people unemployed for more than 26 weeks is rising, and they have about a 10% probability of finding work at wages similar to what they earned before their extended unemployment. … READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Homes for the holidays
Nine months into the pandemic, demand for single-family homes, buoyed by historically low interest rates, continues to soar. Confidence among builders remains high, with the National Association of Home Builders index coming in at 86 for December. … READ MORE >