May 2008

An increased confidence during the first quarter of 2008 replaced last quarter's concerns about the economy when a significant drop in plans for hiring led to a steep decline in the confidence of distribution and wholesale companies during the fourth quarter of 2007, according to the latest Small Business Research Board (SBRB) report issued today.
 
The Distribution &Wholesale Industry Small Business Confidence Index increased to 40 during the first quarter of 2008, or by nine points (29%), from the 31 recorded during the prior quarter.
 
The first quarter 2008 report is the third wholesale and distribution industry confidence index issued. Inclines in two of the three major categories comprising the confidence index contributed to the higher first quarter results. ...

Source: Statistics Canada
 
Canadian manufacturers gave back some of their recent gains in March as factory sales retreated 1.6% to $49.0 billion.
 
The scope of March's slowdown was extensive as 18 of the 21 manufacturing industries, representing 76% of total sales, posted declines. A sharp downturn in motor vehicle manufacturing was the chief contributor.
 
Sales were down 7.7% compared with the peak level of $53.1 billion set in March 2007.
Manufacturing activity falters during the first quarter
 
In the first quarter of 2008, manufacturing sales fell 5.5% to $143.8 billion compared with the same period one year earlier. The ongoing slump in the auto ...

Industrial production declined 0.7 percent in April after having risen 0.2 percent in March. Manufacturing output fell 0.8 percent in April.
 
As was the case in March, factory output in April was held down by a large drop in the index for motor vehicles and parts; strikes and strike-related parts shortages resulted in suspended production at many facilities.
 
Excluding motor vehicles and parts, manufacturing production fell back 0.4 percent after having increased 0.3 percent in March.
 
In April, the output of utilities rose 0.3 percent, and the output at mines decreased 0.8 percent. At 111.2 percent of its 2002 average, overall industrial production was 0.2 percent above its year-earlier level.
 
The rate of capacity utilization for total ...

Both deal volume and value in the transportation and logistics industry declined during the first quarter of 2008, according to the PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Q1 2008 edition of Intersections: Global Transportation &Logistics Mergers and Acquisitions Analysis. Global Deal activity is not on track to match the levels seen in 2007; however, the 45 deals (worth at least $50 million each) announced in the first quarter are on track to exceed 2006 levels.
 
The credit markets and slowing deal activity in the U.S. significantly affected deal volume in the first quarter of the year. When excluding deals in which a U.S. entity was the acquirer or target, the number of deals (38 deals) is on pace to exceed both 2006 and 2007 levels (119 and 142 deals respectively), indicating that a ...

March U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $544.62 million, according to AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors'Association, and AMT -The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was up 84.4% from February, and up 36.1% from the total of $400.19 million reported for March 2007. With a year-to-date total of $1,183.75 million, 2008 is up 16.4% compared with 2007.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTC program.

The March consumption numbers, as well as the first quarter as a whole, clearly demonstrate that the investment ...