- Prior was -13.6
- Revenue +5.5 vs +8.5 prior
This is a low tier indicator but I like to have a read of the comments.
- The nonresolved railroad workers’ strike is hanging like a dark cloud on the horizon and threatening to disrupt on a massive scale.
- Access to financing remains tight as private capital investors remain conservative, and conventional financing remains expensive. This continues to create tremendous uncertainty for us regarding head count, capital expenditures, pricing and geographical expansion. As a result, we have become more conservative ourselves, slowing our hiring ramp dramatically, curtailing plans for expansion and focusing on increasing profitability through cost cutting and higher-value customers.
- The interest rate environment is creating a slight slowdown in activity for the company.
- We just moved into a smaller facility. We could not give our office furniture away. We had to pay for the furniture to be hauled off because of the glut of shrinking/closing businesses.
- Firm owners and high-level managers are working harder and longer to pick up slack in productivity due to remote-work accountability and child/elderly care demands. Due to transmittable diseases and worker shortage, daycare centers and preschools are shutting down more frequently with only one day’s notice and causing major disruptions to working parents.
- Despite attention on inflation , logistics, energy prices, interest rates and expected recession, clients continue to experience improving financial performance. [There is a] continuing shortage of skilled labor and an increase in wages/benefits.
- With the tech layoffs going on, it has created some opportunity to find good human resources.
- Our six-month forecast has improved due to a strong application pipeline for spring. Uncertainty is decreasing due to election results and early signs of moderating inflation.
- We are still having staffing issues. [We are] still unable to get fully staffed. (accommodation)
- Higher interest rates are having a significant negative effect on used-vehicle sales. We are also seeing more cash payments for vehicles versus financing. New-vehicle product is still very difficult to get, and customers to some degree are experiencing "buyer fatigue" from the long waits. They are simply postponing their purchases. (automotive)
- Higher prices due to inflation are finally starting to hit home with my restaurant customers. Perhaps it's price fatigue, but we are starting to see pushback that can't be ignored. While we're starting to see price easing at the wholesale level, particularly chicken, the current market has been building for 12 months or more, and the restaurants won't see their prices fall for another 30–60 days.
- The Federal Reserve has lost its way and needs to stop increasing rates and let the economy and employment settle. The Federal Reserve actively participated in causing this inflationary cycle by its aggressive and irrational buying of mortgage-backed securities that represent 30 percent of its portfolio. Continuing on this path will cause a recession and leave the Federal Reserve with little options. Raising rates as the Federal Reserve has done has cost the U.S. Treasury untold sums to finance the government. If the Federal Reserve governors had any self-respect or integrity, they would resign.
- Rates are rising too fast. We are going to have a hard landing. (building materials)
