Fed Beige Book September 2

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The US economy is still expanding, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book report
. 

The Beige Book is a collection of anecdotal economic observations from each of the Fed's 12 regions.  

And all in all, Wednesday's latest report showed that things in the economy are more or less status quo, epxnaind as they were in the Fed's prior report. 

The Beige Book is published two weeks before each Fed policy announcement and forms some of the basis for discussion about the economy at the two-day Federal Open Market Committee meeting.

Wednesday's report, however, only runs through August 24, and while some of the stock market volatility seen earlier in the month was captured by this report, the last couple weeks' chaos hadn't yet been seen. 

And so while on balance, this report makes limited mention of how financial markets are impacting the US economy, the period with highest potential for that to be the case hadn't yet come to pass.

Here's the full report from the Fed:

Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts indicate economic activity continued expanding across most regions and sectors during the reporting period from July to mid-August. Six Districts cited moderate growth while New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Kansas City, and Dallas reported modest increases in activity. The Cleveland District noted only slight growth since the last report. In most cases, these recent results represented a continuation of the overall pace reported in the July Beige Book. Respondents in most sectors across Districts expected growth to continue at its recent pace, but the Kansas City report cited more mixed expectations.

District reports on manufacturing activity were mostly positive, although among these, the Cleveland, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Dallas Districts painted a somewhat mixed picture across manufacturing sectors. Only the New York and Kansas City Districts cited declines in manufacturing.

Retail contacts in a majority of Districts reported that their sales and revenues continued to expand. By contrast, the Cleveland and Minneapolis Districts cited flat consumer activity since the last report, Atlanta was mixed, and Dallas reported decreased sales year-over-year. Most Districts reported increased auto sales. Among Districts with information on tourism, activity was strong in most reports.

Demand for nonfinancial services, including staffing, generally expanded over the reporting period. Districts mentioning the transportation sector mostly noted activity increases. Districts reporting on the banking sector mostly tallied increases in both business and consumer loan volumes. Credit quality was reported to be improving in most Districts, while credit standards were generally said to be unchanged.

Reports on residential and commercial real estate markets across the Districts were mostly positive. Existing home sales and residential leasing widely improved, with home prices moving up in most areas. Commercial real estate activity also rose in most Districts; commercial construction activity ranged from strong in the Cleveland and Minneapolis Districts to up only slightly in Chicago, while commercial leasing was reported to have increased across the board.

Agricultural conditions were mixed across Districts. Farm contacts indicated that anticipated yields were up for corn and soybeans, but conditions deteriorated in the St. Louis and Kansas City Districts; drought was an ongoing concern in the San Francisco District and was also a factor in parts of the Atlanta and Minneapolis Districts. Districts reporting on the energy sector indicated that conditions were stable to declining; coal production was down in the Richmond and St. Louis Districts, while oil-related activity declined in the Cleveland, Atlanta, and Dallas Districts.

Most Districts reported modest to moderate growth in labor demand, although Boston, Cleveland, and Dallas cited only slight increases in hiring. This tightening of labor markets was said to be pushing wages up slightly in selected industries https://threedaynoticeflorida.wordpress.com/ (https://threedaynoticeflorida.wordpress.com) or occupations, especially in the New York, Cleveland, St. Louis, and San Francisco Districts. Across all Districts, input and selling prices were reported to be stable or up only slightly.

Manufacturing

District reports on manufacturing were generally positive during the reporting period. Ten Districts reported stable or positive growth and only two, New York and Kansas City, registered declines. Several areas of strength were noted: Auto sales have generally been above expectations and Cleveland, Richmond, and Chicago all reported strong growth in auto-related manufacturing. Aerospace, particularly commercial aviation, continued as a plus for manufacturing production in the Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco Districts. Demand from the construction industry was strong, with the Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Dallas Districts reporting increases in demand for construction-related goods from lumber to construction machinery. Even in Districts where manufacturing activity expanded, several factors were mentioned as damping demand: The Cleveland, Chicago, and Minneapolis Districts reported weakness in the agricultural sector and declines in demand for agricultural machinery. Falling energy prices have led to a reduction in demand for machinery (reported by Cleveland and Minneapolis) and metals (Chicago and St. Louis). The Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Richmond, and Dallas Districts cited the strong dollar as a weakening influence. Manufacturing contacts in Cleveland, Chicago, and St. Louis reported that cheap steel imports were depressing demand and leading to low capacity utilization in that industry; these cheap imports were attributed to the strong dollar and slowing economic growth in Asia. Reports from three Districts explicitly mentioned the Chinese slowdown as a factor, noting reduced demand for wood products (San Francisco), chemicals (Boston), and high-tech goods (Dallas). 

District reports cited no major revisions to firms' capital spending plans, although contacts in the Kansas City District, for example, expected recent declines in activity to lead to a curtailment of capital expenditure. In general, District reports indicated the manufacturing outlook was positive; even contacts in Kansas City, one of the two Districts to report a decline in manufacturing activity, were modestly positive about the future.

Consumer Spending and Tourism

During this survey period, retail sales results varied across the Districts. Richmond reported that sales rose sharply, while Philadelphia, Chicago, Kansas City, and San Francisco indicated that consumer spending increased at a moderate pace. Most retail contacts in the St. Louis District said that sales were at or above 2014 levels, but many indicated that these results fell short of expectations. Boston and Atlanta reported mixed results--both Districts had some sources reporting that sales growth was improved or still strong, but other retailers reporting flat or slowing sales. The Minneapolis District noted that retail sales were largely flat. The New York District characterized retail sales as generally sluggish and below plan in July, but on or above plan in early August. Cleveland reported that sales were flat over the survey period and lower compared to a year ago. Retail contacts in the Dallas District reported decreased year-over-year sales, partly attributed to a strong dollar negatively affecting sales along the border area with Mexico. New York and Minneapolis reported that the strong dollar discouraged sales in Canadian border areas. Contacts in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Kansas City were optimistic that retail sales will stay on pace or improve in the coming months, while Dallas contacts reported mixed levels of optimism amid expectations of low or no sales growth for the third quarter.

The Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco Districts reported continuing strength in auto sales. Dallas said that sales remained steady over the survey period, and that demand was up compared to last summer. Most auto dealerships located in Upstate New York reported that after picking up in June, vehicle sales remained favorably steady. The Cleveland and Kansas City Districts reported modest year-over-year increases in auto sales, while Richmond reported flat or higher sales over the survey period. Expectations are generally optimistic that auto sales will improve or continue to be strong through the end of the year.

The Boston, Richmond, Atlanta, and Minneapolis Districts reported that travel and tourism activity continued to be strong, and contacts expected these positive trends to continue. Tourism activity in the New York District remained generally soft. Hotel occupancy rates and room rates were flat in New York City, but picked up in other parts of New York State. Restaurant sales were up in the Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Kansas City Districts.

Nonfinancial Services 

Demand for nonfinancial services generally expanded at a modest to moderate rate since the last report. The Kansas City and Dallas Districts cited modest to moderate increases in demand for professional and technical services. Business activity in the software and information technology service sector increased in the Boston and San Francisco Districts. Reports from the Minneapolis and Dallas Districts indicated that accounting activity was strong in recent months. Several Districts, including St. Louis, Minneapolis, and San Francisco cited growth in the healthcare services sector. Both the St. Louis and Dallas Districts reported expansion in the food services industry. Dallas District law firms noted increased demand for legal services but activity at legal firms in the San Francisco District continued to be weak. Staffing services contacts from most Districts reported increases in overall labor demand and hiring activity and a tightening labor market, with Districts citing particular shortages of specialized software and IT workers, skilled trade's workers, and truck drivers.

District reports on transportation activity were mixed but mostly positive overall. The Cleveland District reported a contraction in overall freight volume, with decreases in shipments of consumer goods, steel, and energy-related products, but increases in shipments of electronics and chemicals. The Richmond and Minneapolis Districts noted robust port activity. The Atlanta District reported modest overall growth in transportation, with increases in automobile and machinery shipments. Trucking activity was stable in the Richmond District, but decreased in the Atlanta District. Contacts in the Dallas District reported only slight growth in the transportation services sector, with increases in courier cargo volumes, but decreases in rail cargo volumes. Overall, most nonfinancial services contacts across the Districts were reported to have a positive outlook, expecting business growth to continue through the rest of the year.

Real Estate and Construction

Residential real estate activity improved across the 12 Districts, with home sales and home prices increasing in every District, while construction activity was more mixed. Richmond and Kansas City indicated that sales of low- and medium-priced homes continued to outpace sales of higher-priced homes. Cleveland, Richmond, and San Francisco noted that demand was more robust for multifamily homes. Construction activity was reportedly increasing in most Districts, but was moderate or flat in the Boston, Philadelphia, Richmond, Minneapolis, and Dallas Districts. Contacts in the Cleveland District attributed increases in construction activity to expectations of a rise in interest rates, the improving labor market, and rising consumer confidence. However, Cleveland also cited supply-side constraints and difficulty obtaining construction financing. Similarly, Boston noted difficulty in obtaining new construction permits. San Francisco reported that construction activity slowed in some areas due to tighter borrowing conditions and shortages of skilled labor and available land. Contacts in many Districts attributed increases in home prices to robust demand and declining inventory. Inventories continued to decline or stay flat, with the exception of the Kansas City District, where they rose slightly. Boston, New York, and Richmond specifically commented on low inventory leading to bidding wars among buyers. Cleveland builders cited rising construction and land development costs as upward price drivers. New York and Dallas both indicated that prices have climbed for low- to medium-priced homes but price pressures are softer for higher-priced properties. Rental markets remained strong nationwide. Overall, the residential outlook was positive, with the majority of Districts expecting this increased activity to continue.

District reports on commercial real estate were positive on balance. Commercial leasing activity increased in the Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Kansas City Districts. Leasing activity was steady in the Philadelphia District, steady or increasing in the New York District, and mixed in the Boston District. Leasing demand was described as very strong in large cities, including Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Dallas, but Houston saw weak leasing demand. Significant office rent increases were reported for downtown Boston and New York City while slight increases were seen in Center City Philadelphia. Retail rents and industrial rents increased in portions of the Richmond District. Contacts in the Boston and Dallas Districts were optimistic or cautiously optimistic about commercial leasing activity moving forward; contacts in the Kansas City District expected modest improvement in leasing demand. Commercial construction activity increased in the Cleveland, Atlanta, St. Louis, and San Francisco Districts. Commercial construction was described as active in the Dallas District, strong-to-robust in the New York and Minneapolis Districts, and steady at a solid pace in the Philadelphia District's urban centers. In urban Boston, office construction activity increased from levels that were seen as below-normal in relation to fundamentals, and elsewhere in the Boston District commercial construction activity was mixed. The outlook for commercial construction was generally positive in the Boston, Cleveland, Atlanta, and San Francisco Districts, but risks to growth in construction activity include rising labor costs for skilled workers (noted by Boston and Cleveland contacts), and tighter underwriting standards for construction loans (noted by San Francisco).

Banking and Finance

Reports on banking activity were mostly positive during the reporting period. Overall loan demand increased in most reporting Districts, with the exception of mixed demand in Chicago and steady demand in Kansas City. Growth in loan activity in other Districts ranged from slight in Richmond to moderate in Philadelphia and St. Louis. Though contacts in Atlanta reported moderate growth, bankers in some parts of the District reported a slowdown in lending tied to the energy sector. Commercial and industrial loan demand improved in Philadelphia, Cleveland, and St. Louis, though it was categorized as steady in Kansas City and Dallas and mixed in Richmond. Commercial real estate lenders in Chicago continued to be concerned that valuations were too high; leading some to put limits on the size of loans they make for financing new purchases. On the consumer lending side, demand for credit was up in most Districts. Growth in demand for consumer loans was reported to be moderate in Dallas and stable in Cleveland. Several Districts, including Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Chicago, noted strong increases in demand for auto loans, though demand for such loans was flat in St. Louis. Demand for mortgages increased in several Districts, including Cleveland, Richmond, Atlanta, Chicago, and St. Louis. Although mortgage lending ticked up in Dallas, growth remained muted due to a limited supply of housing.

Credit conditions remained stable or improved across Districts. Delinquency rates declined across all loan categories in the New York, St. Louis, and San Francisco Districts. Credit standards were largely unchanged, with a few exceptions in the Richmond and St. Louis Districts who noted tightening standards. Contacts in Boston, Atlanta, and Chicago, reported competition among lenders for loans. Bankers in New York, Cleveland, and San Francisco reported narrow net interest margins.

Agriculture, Oil, and Other Resource-based Industries

Harvests were underway in many Districts and agricultural conditions mostly continued to improve during the reporting period; however, conditions deteriorated in the St. Louis and Kansas City Districts and were mixed in the Chicago District. Anticipated soybean yields were high, despite extensive damage to St. Louis District crops from record rainfall earlier this year and uneven conditions in the Chicago District. High corn yields nationally reduced the cost of feed, and positive cow-calf margins made up for low crop prices in some areas. Cattle prices increased in the Minneapolis and Dallas Districts, and decreased in Chicago. Egg production remained sluggish, as poultry houses continued to replace birds lost to the avian flu earlier this year. The Kansas City District reported financial strain in regions most dependent upon crop production as prices fell and credit conditions worsened. Similarly, capital spending and demand for agricultural equipment decreased in Minneapolis, while Dallas District farmers managed costs in the face of low expected revenues. The Atlanta and Minneapolis Districts experienced some isolated severe drought, and San Francisco expressed serious concerns about drought and inadequate water resources affecting future harvests.

The energy sector was flat or down in all Districts. Respondents in the Kansas City and Dallas Districts revised expectations to deal with a long term low-price environment for oil; meanwhile drilling activity rose slightly in Minneapolis, Kansas City, and Dallas despite depressed demand. In Cleveland, drilling activity in the Marcellus and Utica Shales fell further, to 60 percent of the peak level in the fourth quarter last year. Hiring in oil and gas industries was modest in Cleveland, and firms were cutting jobs in the Atlanta and Dallas Districts. Energy-related capital expenditures were down in the Cleveland and Dallas Districts and mixed in Atlanta, where large firms were reassessing deep water projects but small firms expanded activities and refiners continued to invest in expansion. Coal production was down in the Richmond and St. Louis Districts, and mining activities decreased in the Minneapolis District. Natural gas production was up year-over-year in the Cleveland District, and flat in Richmond.

Employment, Wages, and Prices

Most Districts reported slight or modest growth in employment since the previous Beige Book. Boston reported little or no hiring except via its staffing sector, while Philadelphia, Cleveland, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Dallas cited slight to modest increases in employment. Atlanta, Richmond and Chicago experienced moderate increases in employment, and San Francisco reported an increase in IT sector hiring. The New York labor market reportedly gained further momentum and saw strong growth in hiring. The Richmond, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Kansas City, and San Francisco Districts reported labor shortages for certain skills or difficulty finding workers, especially for IT and other technical positions. Firms in the Atlanta District cited challenges retaining employees and filling vacancies.

Wages were relatively stable in most Districts, with slight to moderate increases since the last report. However, several Districts reported increasing wage pressures caused by labor market tightening. St. Louis reported almost three-fifths of responding firms had raised wages in the last three months. New York cited increased pressure on starting salaries, while Cleveland noted intensifying wage pressure in the construction, retail, and transportation sectors. San Francisco reported upward wage pressures for skilled workers in the IT, information security, and construction sectors. In the Kansas City District, wage growth slowed in many sectors despite selected labor shortages. Dallas noted flat wages, but also wage pressures for some specialty skills.

Both input and output prices remained stable in most Districts. The Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Dallas, and San Francisco Districts all reported that prices were mostly flat or had increased only slightly. In Richmond, retail and finished goods prices accelerated slightly, while in Kansas City prices were mixed, with retail input and output prices increasing at a modest pace while manufacturing and crop prices decreased moderately.

First District--Boston
Most business contacts in the First District continue to report moderate growth. A couple of sizable retailers, by contrast, cite slowdowns in sales growth in recent months although other retailers maintain year-over-year increases in activity. Ten of 12 responding manufacturers report ongoing demand increases, notwithstanding recent increases in the value of the dollar relative to foreign currencies. Most software and information technology services firms are also seeing revenue growth, while increases at staffing firms are even more robust. Residential and commercial real estate markets across the region continue to improve. Aside from staffing firms, no respondents cite wage increases and headcount changes are small. With minor exceptions, prices are said to be stable. Retail and Tourism

First District retailers responding in this round report year-over-year comparable-store sales ranging from flat to mid-single digit increases. Two contacts say their sales results continue to improve or remain strong, but two others cite softer sales across all regions of the United States beginning in either mid-June or mid-July. Inventories are slightly higher as a result of these slower-than-expected sales, but not a cause for concern. One contact experiencing the slowdown characterizes the U.S. consumer as taking "a little pause," while the other expects the slowdown to continue into the holiday season, and has downgraded his 2015 sales forecast to an increase of 2.5 percent to 3 percent, from 5 percent.

Business and leisure travel to the Boston area continues to be very robust. Over the first six months of 2015, the average hotel occupancy rate was 79.9 percent, up 1 percentage point from a year earlier, while the average hotel room rate was up 7.7 percent over the first six months of 2014. Now that the high summer travel season is well underway, the average room rate for June is up 11.2 percent over June 2014. January to June attendance at Boston area museums and attractions was down 4 percent year-over-year; much of this decline is attributed to poor weather and disrupted public transit in 2015:Q1; attendance in June alone was up 3.5 percent year-over-year, and anecdotal evidence suggests that the numbers will be strong for July and August. Boston area hotel revenues are forecasted to be up 8 percent year-over-year for 2015 and up a further 7 percent in 2016.

Manufacturing and Related Services

Of 12 contacted manufacturing firms, 10 report stronger demand. The two exceptions are a producer of fitness equipment and a dairy firm; the dairy firm cites a slowdown in sales of specialty products such as almond milk. Many of our contacts mention China as a performance factor, but so far the effects are modest. One contact, a producer of biotechnology equipment, says their sales in China exceeded expectations in the most recent period. A manufacturer of systems for new buildings reports a definite softening in construction activity in China which affects demand for its products. The strengthening dollar continues to present problems for some of our contacts. A producer of biotechnology equipment says that sales are going to be about $1 billion lower (on $14 billion in revenue) as a result of the stronger dollar. The firm reports, however, that the devaluation of the yuan was good news overall as their yuan costs exceed their yuan sales. Sources of demand growth in the U.S. are varied. A tool maker says that strong construction activity is leading to purchases of replacement tools for existing workers and new tools for workers new to construction trades.

Despite strong demand, most respondents report little or no net hiring. For example, a manufacturer of semiconductor equipment says sales were up 60 percent in the second quarter versus the same period last year but they still are not planning to increase headcount. A manufacturer of bulk chemicals said that they are seeing a much higher number of quits either to go to other firms or for retirement, after many years in which the quit rate was exceptionally low. A manufacturer of building equipment says that the China slowdown will eventually lead to "cost containment" in their U.S. operations, including broad hiring restrictions in the near future, even on their business lines with no exposure to China. Contacts report no significant wage pressure. Input and output prices are generally said to be stable, but there are some exceptions: A manufacturer of bulk chemicals says that slowing demand in China has reduced the price of inputs. A textile equipment firm says it raised prices 5 percent in April and has not noticed any reduction in demand.

Capital expenditures are up for most contacts, generally in line with earlier plans. The outlook is positive for all respondents except the dairy firm, which expects flat sales going forward.

Software and Information Technology Services

Reports from New England software and information technology services firms are varied. Most contacts cite mid to high-single-digit growth in both sequential and year-over-year revenues, with customer demand and sales volumes continuing to expand. By contrast, one firm reports decreases in both sequential and year-over-year revenues, due to weakened demand in China and the strong U.S. dollar. Selling prices, wages, and capital and technology spending have largely remained constant in recent months. Most firms have maintained or slightly increased headcount; one firm cut jobs within its weaker product lines. Most contacts are cautiously optimistic about the next few months, expecting continued revenue growth through the end of the year; only one firm reduced its year-end forecast, projecting a larger revenue drop than it had earlier.

Staffing Services

First District staffing contacts report robust growth in the New England region, with high-single-digit to low-double-digit year-over-year revenue growth. Labor demand has risen, particularly in the IT and healthcare sectors, which reportedly reflects increased confidence in the overall economy. Labor supply continues to be "very tight", with contacts noting shortages of IT workers, software developers, skilled trades workers, and network administrators. The rate of temporary-to-permanent job conversion remains strong. Firms have expanded their advertising presence on job boards and social media sites such as LinkedIn in order to better attract top candidates. Pay rates have grown by 3 percent to 20 percent, with the sharper increases reflecting a greater supply-demand gap. Most firms have maintained their profit margins by increasing bill rates in line with the rising pay rates. Looking forward, contacts are optimistic, expecting the positive growth trajectory to continue through the rest of the year. Some contacts express concerns about the Chinese economy, the strong dollar, and stock market fluctuations.

Commercial Real Estate

Contacts in the First District give mostly upbeat reports concerning the region's commercial real estate markets. Extending trends reported last time, office rents in Boston continue to climb, office vacancy rates continue to fall, and investors are pushing prices for Boston's commercial properties to near all-time highs. A few Boston contacts note that, over the past couple of years, the pace of delivery of new office space has been slow relative to historical norms under similar market conditions, contributing to the recent surge in rents. However, contacts also report that there has been a modest uptick in office construction activity in Boston's Seaport and Financial districts, involving a combination of pre-leased space and unleased space, and in some cases incorporating additional uses such as retail and residential space. Construction of hospitals and related facilities also continues to expand in the Boston area.

In Providence, office leasing activity experienced only a very modest summer slowdown, maintaining a decent pace that is expected to strengthen come September; a contact in that city reports that the number of large blocks of vacant office space is down considerably in recent months. The Portland area continues to see strong leasing activity across the office, retail, and industrial sectors, pushing vacancy rates into the single digits, and the city's hotels are enjoying very high occupancy rates. In Hartford, leasing activity is light amid flat economic activity but the city's investment sales market remains strong and has recently attracted the interest of foreign buyers. A regional lender to commercial real estate notes that his bank saw a recent spike in loan payoffs resulting from an increased number of property sales among its borrowers; at the same time, it struggles to secure new lending opportunities amid fierce competition from insurance company lenders and from the commercial mortgage backed securities market.

The shortage of skilled construction workers and accompanying wage pressure continues to weigh on the outlook for construction activity in Boston--according to one contact, within the next six months relevant labor costs in the metropolitan area could rise to levels that would significantly curtail construction activity relative to current plans. With the exception of a Hartford contact--whose outlook is modestly pessimistic--most commercial real estate contacts are optimistic concerning leasing fundamentals moving forward, but Boston contacts continue to be "nervous" about current high sales prices and low capitalization rates.

Residential Real Estate

Closed sales of both single-family homes and condominiums increased on a year-over-year basis in all six First District states in June. Contacts in the real estate industry say that sellers seem to be recovering from the harsh winter weather, and increased activity that began to show up in the last Beige Book continues. June represented the first year-over-year increase in closed sales of single-family homes for Massachusetts in 8 months. In Boston, where sales increased 10.2 percent, the volume numbers were near record highs. Median sales price increased from a year earlier on single-family homes in half the First District states and fell in Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine. Contacts in Massachusetts characterize the price appreciation as modest. Pending sales increased from July 2014 for nearly every state in the First District; the exception was condos in Maine. Inventory has decreased in every state but Connecticut. Massachusetts contacts say building and zoning laws continue to make new construction difficult. Contacts say low inventory has created a strong "sellers' market." Additionally, the available months of supply decreased in every state's single-family home market. The number of days spent on the market also decreased for both single-family homes and condos in most New England states.

Contacts express a generally optimistic outlook as the market continues to recover from the unseasonably slow winter. Some note that sellers may still be working on repairs before putting homes on the market and expect upward trends in sales and prices to continue into the fall. Many are weary of the inventory shortage and express concern that rising prices and potentially increasing interest rates will begin to present financing issues for buyers.