Q4 2008 Arizona BLCI
October 26, 2008
The Arizona Business Leaders Confidence Index® (BLCI) gained 3.9 points this quarter, for a reading of 42.4. That’s the largest upward move since the first quarter of 2006, and marks the second consecutive quarterly gain. Although the index remains below 50, which indicates that conditions are still expected to remain sluggish while its upward movement suggests that the worst may be behind us.
According to the fourth quarter BLCI:
The bottom also appears within sight for housing markets. Inventories of homes for sale are declining, sales rates are improving and housing affordability has improved considerably as prices declined. Homebuilding activity should hit bottom before year end although a rebound is unlikely until the second half of next year.
Arizona’s Economy, Fall 2008
October 1, 2008
Recent evidence shows that Arizona’s economy continued to contract in the second quarter with little prospect for near term recovery.
According to Marshall Vest, Forecasting Project Director of the University of Arizona, Eller College of Management, Economic and Business Research Center:
Recession continues to grip Arizona and several more months are likely to pass before the economy bottoms and then begins to recover. By the middle of 2009, housing markets should bottom, credit will once again be expanding, and consumers will begin to release some pent-up demand. The business cycle will turn up and by mid-2010, robust growth will return once again.
So, according to the one economic center in Arizona that actually predicted this economic downturn correctly ahead of time, Arizona’s economy is still in poor shape, but at least now we can see a bottom.
Q3 2008 Arizona BLCI
August 3, 2008
The economic climate in Arizona is still faring poorly, but opinions have improved since last quarter, according to a survey of business leaders economic sentiments.
The Arizona Business Leaders Confidence Index gained 1.6 points from last quarter’s decline of 3.5 points, to a reading of 38.5. That’s the first upward move in over a year.
This forward-looking survey, which was conducted in early June, asked panelists for their expectations for the third quarter of 2008. Although a number below 50 indicates worsening conditions, its upward movement is a welcome sign that the worst may be behind us. Panel members have correctly predicted the economy’s direction-of-change nearly 70% of the time.
Read more
Q2 2008 Arizona BLCI
April 19, 2008
The economic climate in Arizona is still faring poorly and most business leaders don’t see it improving anytime soon, according to a survey of their economic sentiments.
The Arizona Business Leaders Confidence Index declined by 3.5 points, to a reading of 36.9.
That’s the lowest reading yet for the survey that began in mid-2003. A number below 50 indicates worsening conditions. The index has declined in each of the past four surveys, stretching back to the second quarter of 2007. Read more
Arizona’s Economy
March 13, 2008
I think most folks would agree that Arizona’s economy is in poor shape. It doesn’t take an economist to tell you that the housing market is in trouble, debt levels are wreaking havoc on everyone, prices are rising everywhere, and job losses are mounting.
So why then do we even need economists?
Read more
Advertisement
-
Business News Links
-
Financial News Radio
