Even as key corporate financial indicators continue to fall, some hope may be emerging that forecasts of an impending recession will prove inaccurate.
No matter how grim things become, it's important to face each level of distress as soon as it arises and with full transparency.
U.S. finance chiefs see earnings growth in 2018, but they also expect higher wage and benefits costs.
The company's Q4 earnings beat estimates but the expense of improving its delivery network may continue to weigh on margins.
Despite surging sales and cash flow, company spending on capex continues to lag.
Among a number of capital-raising experiments, some companies are seeking investors for specific projects.
New business volumes dropped substantially in July and are off 8% compared with 2015, says ELFA.
The reduced forecast for 2017 reflects an increase in capital spending to $5.1 billion as FedEx tries to keep pace with ecommerce growth.
But orders for non-defense capital goods (excluding aircraft) fell 0.8%, said the Commerce Department.
The profitability of the company's refining and integrated businesses helped offset a $1.4 billion loss in the energy production unit.
The recent declines in output may reflect "hangover effects from companies’ deep job and capital-spending cuts in the wake of the recession."
A survey finds nearly two-thirds of executives say the race for the White House is a consideration in their business planning.
