Rising costs and supply chain constraints continue to disrupt U.S. manufacturing activity and may worsen as the world’s factory floors brace for more shutdowns linked to the spread of the coronavirus delta variant. Even U.S. companies that do not have operations in other countries can expect to feel the ... READ MORE >
industrials
3 things to know in energy: OPEC+ compromise, coal-to-gas conversion, pipeline cybersecurity
Biweekly, we highlight three things going on in the energy industry that we think you should know about. This week, we take a look at how the recent OPEC+ decision to increase oil production will affect the industry, a Canada company's coal-to-gas conversion for its electrical power generation ... READ MORE >
The rebirth of industrial policy in the United States
The United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, a $250 billion legislative package passed in June to facilitate the research and development of science and technology, represents a sea change in U.S. economic strategy and a return of the government’s use of industrial policy. But the ... READ MORE >
RSM Manufacturing Outlook Index: New orders, sales and sentiment imply economic expansion has begun
If manufacturing were the sole determinant of the business cycle, we might anticipate a quicker assignment to the official end of the 2020-21 recession. For now, we’ll have to settle for increasing confidence in a sustainable recovery as an indication that the economy has entered into expansionary ... READ MORE >
3 things to know this week in energy: Major cyberattack, oil deals, pipeline permits
Biweekly, we highlight three things going on in the energy industry that we think you should know about. This week’s top item is the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack. Plus, we look at oilfield deal announcements and tensions around a pipeline that runs across Wisconsin and Michigan to Ontario. Here’s ... READ MORE >
Top energy trends for oil and gas companies to watch in 2021
The energy industry faced unprecedented volatility in 2020 and operators were forced to react and adapt to a low-price environment. In 2021, many of those challenges remain as the pandemic continues and the years-long push toward the energy transition accelerates. Oil, gas and other energy companies will ... READ MORE >
The impact of Brexit on U.S. manufacturing companies
While Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016 and companies had about four years to prepare for the change, there was not much clarity on what Brexit would mean for companies until Dec. 24, 2020, when the post-Brexit trade deal—the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement—was finalized. Plenty of questions ... READ MORE >
3 things to know this week in energy: Canada consolidation, oil prices, and tech invests in renewables
Major tech investment in renewable energy continues, freezing weather in the United States lifts oil prices up and Canada’s energy market sees another major consolidation announcement. Biweekly, we round up news and analysis about three things going on in the energy industry that we think you should ... READ MORE >
3 things to know this week in energy: Drilling permit suspension pushback, Keystone XL and shale oil
There has been no shortage of energy industry news since President Joe Biden took office in January: last week, a group of Republican senators introduced a bill pushing back against the administration’s recent suspension of new drilling permits on federal lands; Biden’s move to revoke the Keystone XL ... READ MORE >
CHART OF THE DAY: Manufacturing remains strong despite labor, supply chain challenges
U.S. manufacturing activity remained robust in January but faced challenges on the labor and supply chain front, according to new data released Monday by the Institute for Supply Management. These challenges are limiting production and driving up prices. The ISM’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ ... READ MORE >