The Sentiment Conundrum

Okay, class, what have you learned from my years of teaching and lecturing around our industry about sentiment? That’s right: sentiment is self-fulfilling. It is remarkably interesting to watch what has occurred since March, when inflation continued to be reported as being stubbornly persistent, and the Fed, like me, changed their view that the rise in prices was not transient…

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Concrete Prices Demonstrate Stability

The sticker shock Americans are exhibiting in supermarkets, gas stations, and retail establishments is resounding throughout our economy, at a pace faster than I would have expected. The rampant inflation caused by the global supply/demand imbalance and related supply chain issues has ignited inflation from near zero to levels not seen since the 1980s. So with few options, the Fed…

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Concrete, plumbing fixtures lead in construction input price stability

Sources: Associated Builders & Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff New U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data confirms rampant inflation (> 50 percent) levels among eight of 11 Nonresidential Construction input subcategories. An Associated Builders & Contractors analysis finds segment prices up 21.9 percent year over year through May, and 44.4 percent since February 2020. Plumbing Fixtures and…

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Making a Case for Reduced Inflation

by Pierre G. Villere We like to read the in-depth research on a wide range of topics that can affect the economic health of our industry, since it is our firm’s primary specialty. In the years I have been at the helm, I find the reports published by the global banks to be informative, and usually spot-on. They have large…

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