Economy

Golub Capital Altman Index: U.S. Middle Market Grew Earnings and Revenue in Q1/24

Middle-market private companies in the Golub Capital Altman Index grew earnings by 11% during the first two months of Q1/24, with the same companies growing revenue by 5% during the same period. read more

Total Employment Increases by 303K in March, Unemployment Rate at 3.8%

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that total nonfarm employment in March increased by 303,000, with the unemployment rate remaining flat at 3.8% and the healthcare, government, leisure and hospitality, and construction sectors experiencing the most notable job gains. read more

Economic Activity in Hospital Sector Grew in March for Seventh Straight Month

Economic activity in the hospital subsector grew in March for the seventh consecutive month after contracting twice in the previous four-month period, with 35 consecutive months of growth prior to that, according to the latest Hospital ISM Report on Business from the Institute for Supply Management. read more

Bankruptcy Filings Increase Across All Chapters in Q1/24; Chapter 11 Filings Up 43%

New bankruptcy filings during Q1/24 registered year-over-year increases across all major filing categories in the U.S., according to Epiq Bankruptcy, with total commercial Chapter 11 filings registering the largest increase, rising 43% year over year. read more

More Than 70% of SMBs View Private Equity as Potential Funding Source

According to a new study from Citizens, 72% of small- and mid-size businesses in the U.S. view the private equity industry as a source of current or future partnership and funding, with sponsors anticipating higher deal volumes in 2024. read more

More Than 50% of Lenders Identify Presidential Election as Most Concerning Macroeconomic Headwind

Results from Phoenix Management’s Q1/24 “Lending Climate in America” survey highlighted concerns about the outcome of the upcoming presidential election and increased uncertainty surrounding the retail and construction industries. read more

CFOs Express Greater Optimism About North American Economy in Q1/24

According to Deloitte’s quarterly CFO Signals survey, in North America, 59% of CFOs expressed optimism for the current economy in Q1/24, up from the 47% tracked in Q4/23. read more

Insolvencies Rise Amid Mounting Financial Stress on Canadian Businesses

Many Canadian businesses are facing an uphill battle, as evidenced by a 41.4% surge in business insolvencies in 2023 when compared to 2022, according to the latest data from Equifax Canada’s Market Pulse Quarterly Business Credit Trends Report. read more

ELFA’s ‘What’s Hot/What’s Not’ Report Forecasts Construction & Machine Tools as Leading Equipment Markets

According to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's “What’s Hot/What’s Not” report, which reveals industry perceptions of 15 equipment markets based on a survey of ELFA members, construction, machine tools, medical, technology and marine/intercoastal are the leading sectors for the year ahead, based on portfolio preference. read more

Economic Activity in Services Sector Expands for 14th Consecutive Month

Economic activity in the services sector expanded in February for the 14th consecutive month as the Services PMI registered 52.6%, according to the Institute for Supply Management. The sector has grown in 44 of the last 45 months, with the lone contraction in December 2022. read more

Businesses Owned by Women Increased Revenues by 15.5% in 2023

According to Biz2Credit’s Women-Owned Business Study, earnings for small businesses owned by women remained steady in 2023 while average annual revenue for businesses owned by women increased 15.5%. read more

Manufacturing Sector Economic Activity Contracted for 16th-Straight Month in February

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in February for the 16th consecutive month following one month of “unchanged” status and 28 months of growth prior to that, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business from the Institute for Supply Management. read more

PNC Survey Shows Business Owner Optimism Continues to Soar Amid Improving Economic Conditions

According to PNC's latest semi-annual survey of small and mid-sized businesses, which concluded Feb. 1, business owner optimism about economic conditions over the next six months has reached a 22-year high amid lessening fears of a recession. read more

Bain & Company Projects Imminent Crunch on Wholesale Banking, Suggests Climate Finance & AI as Future Revenue Drivers

According to a report from Bain & Company, wholesale bank revenue growth rates could drop to a CAGR of 2% by 2025. To address this imminent crunch, Bain & Company urges wholesale banks to seize new sources of growth, including climate finance and AI deployment. read more

More Than 50% of Banks Concerned About Dependency on Legacy Technology

According to a survey from Dragonfly Financial Technologies, 53% of banking executives are concerned or very concerned about their current dependency on legacy technology and rising technology debt. read more

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