Business and Finance

    Dodge Momentum Index Shows Commercial Sector Gains

    In the latest Dodge Momentum Index report, chief economist Richard Branch highlights April’s construction drivers and industry trends. This month, he discusses: A 9% rise in the Commercial Sector The DMI approaches an all-time high Educational building leads Institutional Sector Optimism for solid construction activity The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) is an economic leading indicator for nonresidential building projects, tracking the dollar value of these projects in their earliest stages of planning.

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      The Civil Quarterly 2022 Issue 3

      The Civil Quarterly (TCQ) features original research collected quarterly from civil contractors, engineers and owners. The research provides a snapshot of the current business health of contractors operating in the dynamic civil sector, and each issue also offers insights into some of the many trends that are transforming the sector through research, interviews and feature articles. This quarter’s issue features: The latest on civil contractors’ business conditions, including their confidence in the market, their high levels of backlog and the… Read More »The Civil Quarterly 2022 Issue 3

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        Broad-Based Weakness in the Building Sectors Drags Down Construction Starts in June

        Total construction starts fell 5% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $932.3 billion, according to Dodge Construction Network. Nonresidential building starts lost 14% during the month and residential lost 6%. Nonbuilding starts gained 13% in June due to the start of several large solar projects. Year-to-date, total construction was 5% higher in the first six months of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021. Nonresidential building starts rose 13% and residential starts gained 3%, while nonbuilding starts… Read More »Broad-Based Weakness in the Building Sectors Drags Down Construction Starts in June

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          Starts Stay Strong in First Half as Possible Recession Looms

          Adapted from an article published on ENR on July 13, 2022. While commodity prices have begun to stabilize following the extreme volatility of the past several years, recession fears continue to mount. Inflation and labor shortages remain ongoing issues within the construction industry as well as the broader U.S. economy. “Bid price increases on a year-over-year basis have finally caught up with material cost increases, which will bring smiles of relief to many contractors,” says Alex Carrick, chief economist at… Read More »Starts Stay Strong in First Half as Possible Recession Looms

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            Dodge Momentum Index Hits 14-Year High With Slight Gain in June

            The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) increased less than one percentage point in June to 173.6 (2000=100) from the revised May reading of 173.1, pushing the measure to a 14-year high. The Momentum Index, issued by Dodge Construction Network, is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning. The index is shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. In June, the commercial component of the Momentum Index rose 4.1%, while the institutional component… Read More »Dodge Momentum Index Hits 14-Year High With Slight Gain in June

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              U.S. Manufacturers Bring Production Home, Spurring Boom in Industrial Construction

              The ‘Covid-19 outbreak and the supply chain disruptions that followed prompted many U.S. manufacturers to abandon production in China and build new plants back home. Two years on, the trend continues unabated, Bloomberg and Yahoo! Finance both report. The construction of new manufacturing facilities in the US has soared 116% over the past year, dwarfing the 10% gain on all building projects combined, according to Dodge Construction Network. There are massive chip factories going up in Phoenix: Intel is building two just… Read More »U.S. Manufacturers Bring Production Home, Spurring Boom in Industrial Construction

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                Acquisition Results in New Multinational Architecture Firm

                Architecture and design firm Page has acquired EYP in a transaction that integrates the two businesses. EYP has 11 offices nationwide, and Page has 10, located in the U.S. as well as in Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. Bringing together our two firms allows us to work on increasingly complex projects that benefit from our expertise across disciplines and market sectors. Together, we’re bringing the most compelling, innovative designs and expertise to each project we pursue regardless of scope… Read More »Acquisition Results in New Multinational Architecture Firm

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                  Is the Interest Rate Hike Slowing Sales of Construction Materials and Appliances?

                  Following the Federal Reserve’s recent increase in interest rates, consumer confidence has plummeted, manufacturing imports have decreased, and housing markets are cooling. The rate hike is the largest since the 1980s, CNBC reports. A corresponding decline in consumer sentiment and spending has been followed more recently by a slowdown in purchases of home appliances, DIY products, and construction materials. On the flip side, demand for clothing and sporting goods remains strong, perhaps due to vacation, return-to-work, and back-to-school shopping. Spending… Read More »Is the Interest Rate Hike Slowing Sales of Construction Materials and Appliances?

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                    Construction Input Prices Are up 21% From a Year Ago, Says Associated Builders and Contractors

                    Construction input prices have increased dramatically since this time last year, according to an analysis of Labor Department data by the trade group Associated Builders and Contractors. More specifically, construction input prices are up 21.4%, while nonresidential construction input prices are up 21.9%. Input prices are the costs directly incurred by the creation of a good or service, such as direct materials and labor. The increases occurred in 10 of 11 subcategories in May. The largest were in natural gas… Read More »Construction Input Prices Are up 21% From a Year Ago, Says Associated Builders and Contractors

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                      Dodge Momentum Index Shows Gains in May, Despite Fears of Recession

                      The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI) jumped 7% in May to 176.2 (2000=100), up from the revised April reading of 165.2. The Momentum Index, issued by Dodge Construction Network, is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. In May, the institutional component of the Momentum Index rose 9%, and the commercial component increased 6%. May’s increase in the Dodge Momentum Index pushed the level of… Read More »Dodge Momentum Index Shows Gains in May, Despite Fears of Recession

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                        An In-Depth Conversation With AIA’s New CEO

                        Lakisha Woods, the new CEO of the American Institute of Architects, joined the editors of Architect magazine for a discussion about her career in construction, her vision for the future, and her new book, Never Get Their Coffee. Here are some highlights: I looked around the room, and saw that out of 150 people there, only one was a woman, and she came up to me and immediately befriended me. We had many conversations after that. Other members often assumed… Read More »An In-Depth Conversation With AIA’s New CEO

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