I wish it were otherwise, but no matter: If Washington State’s economy were a stock, I’d be tempted to go short*. I’m no expert. I know only what I read. My gut tells me that the longer the 787 remains grounded, the more likely Boeing will have to redesign the [continue reading . . . ]
I have four topics lined up for my stint on KUOW‘s Weekday program tomorrow. Sometimes the host sticks to the topics I suggest, some times not. Here are my bullet points: Dreamliner Blues: The grounding of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is obviously at the top of everyone’s radar screen. I’m not [continue reading . . . ]
I’ve been working on some new charts that I will present to U.S. Bank customers in Bellingham Tuesday. I’m on a panel for the bank’s 23rd annual economic outlook forum. I plan on saying what I have said in this space and on KUOW’s air: Amazon.com’s hiring and building sprees [continue reading . . . ]
Some things I hope to cover on the business-economy segment on KUOW today: U.S. economy: The Bureau of Economic Analysis announced October 26 that the U.S. economy grew at annual rate of 2.0% in the July-September quarter, much better than the 1.3% rate in the summer quarter. In real terms [continue reading . . . ]
Amazon.com is on a roll. Last Friday, it announced a blockbuster real-estate deal, the purchase of its South Lake Union campus for more than $1 billion. It unveiled late in summer plans for three high-rise office towers on the edge of downtown Seattle — a quick streetcar ride from its [continue reading . . . ]
I’ve just updated Boeing related charts for a presentation on September 13. A couple of things worth noting: Even after adjustment for the loss of Qantas 787 orders last month, Boeing’s backlog in units at the end of August was higher than at the end of March. It hasn’t been [continue reading . . . ]
Subjects addressed during my stint on KUOW’s Weekday program Aug. 29: The Qantas cancellation of Boeing 787 orders is a reminder that despite long lead times — years between orders and deliveries — Boeing is subject to short-term swings in the global economy. The decision says more about Qantas than [continue reading . . . ]
Stockton’s doing it. Greece has done it. Spain and Italy are on the cusp. How do they do it? Let me count the ways. Stockton, reports the Wall Street Journal (Review & Outlook, June 27, 2012), …has a little over $300 million in general-fund backed debt, but an $800 million [continue reading . . . ]
The economic headlines are grim almost everywhere you look. An item on Page 1 of today’s Financial Times sums things up succinctly: Growth in the US is slowing, much of Europe is in recession, China’s growth outlook has weakened, the reform processes in India have stalled and other large emerging [continue reading . . . ]
Aerospace-related manufacturing employment in Washington reached 92,300 in February. For two months running, the level has been higher than at any time in more than a decade; the last time we were in this neighborhood was November 1999, at 91,700. It is hard to overstate the importance of Boeing-related employment [continue reading . . . ]
“For Big Companies, Life is Good.” That was the headline on the Marketplace Section front page of the Wall Street Journal April 9. The item reported that sales, profits and employment of the largest American companies, the Standard and Poor’s 500, last year exceeded the highs reached before the Great [continue reading . . . ]
Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich, now at Berkeley, is as articulate and passionate as any economist on the left. He is ubiquitous on cable-tv shoutfests. I keep waiting for him to say with conviction that the private sector must create wealth before the government can redistribute it. I’m not [continue reading . . . ]
