Thus far this year the US economy has managed to dodge the expected recession and there has been many a sigh of relief as the worst of the predictions have not come to pass. For those that have been paying…

I suppose it is time to retrieve my reputation as a dismal scientist. In previous reports i have been uncharacteristically upbeat as i discussed the fact that we kept managing to miss recession but this is not to say that…

“Mixed” – The Economist’s Version of “Partly Cloudy” What does it mean when data is described as mixed? This has to be one of the most common economic catch-phrases and seems to say, “we have no idea what is going…

There are several trends that affect the credit manager. As result there are few economic indicators that do not matter in one form or another. Lately there has been a little something for the optimist and the pessimist. Why are…

Here we are again. The people who are supposed to know what is going on are not very helpful. There are all the standard economist jokes for times like this. “Put five economists in a room and get five different…

Over the years I have done quite a few talks for NACM Connect groups and nearly every one of them have questions pertaining to the global economy. The supply chain is truly global – from commodities to the intermediate parts…

This edition of the NACM Connect report is a little different. Given the importance of the energy market I thought a deep dive would be useful. These are some observations on the sector and the influence this all has on…

United States Recession, Inflation and Rates – OH MY! As a good Kansas lad, I can’t resist the occasional Oz reference but this one seems somewhat apt. The media has been alive with doom and gloom, economists and analysts filling…

If you have been turning to the dismal scientists for guidance regarding the rest of 2023 and into 2024 you are likely a little frustrated and confused. One set of talking heads asserts that the world is on the precipice…

Stagflation is something that is supposed to be technically impossible. One either has slow growth or one has inflation. By definition these are supposed to be mutually exclusive. Inflation is generally driven by faster growth that creates a disconnect between…