A new report, Quarterly Economic Outlook Planning For First Quarter of 2018, conducted for PMMI Business Intelligence by ITR, says the majority of segments of the US core economy are expanding, and leading indicators corroborate expectation of accelerating growth into the first half of 2018.
Rising global demand and higher commodity prices contributed to growth in US Nondefense Capital Goods New Orders and both US Wholesale Trade of Durable Goods and Nondurable Goods.
The report says to plan for increasing volume and higher costs over the next three quarters if your business is related to the industrial economy. US Industrial Production is accelerating, up 1.3% year over year in October. The manufacturing and mining components of US Industrial Production are expanding while the utilities sector declines.
US consumers are finding themselves in an optimal economic situation consisting of rising real wages, low unemployment, low inflation, low interest rates, a rising stock market, and relatively-low commodity prices.
US Beverages, Coffee, and Tea Production transitioned to an accelerating growth trend in September. Production was up 0.4% compared to the year-ago level and is trending along the lower end of the forecast range.
Leading indicator evidence suggests that production will return within the forecast range during the next quarter. The forecast is unchanged since the previous report.
Expect production to generally rise through year-end 2019, albeit at a slowing pace in 2019. The Coffee & Tea Production component of the broader US Beverages, Coffee, and Tea Production is in Slowing Growth.
US Beverage Production is accelerating upward on a year-over-year basis (quarterly data). Look for opportunities in the Beverage Production industry (which includes soft drinks and distilled beverages) to take advantage of growth in this sector.
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