The October 2018 National Association for Business Economics (NABE) Business Conditions Survey reports solid third quarter results. The share of panelists reporting rising sales at their firms increased for a fourth consecutive quarter, according to NABE.
“The results of the October 2018 NABE Business Conditions Survey indicate firms experienced improved profit margins in the third quarter of 2018, with solid sales growth and rising prices offsetting cost increases,” says NABE Business Conditions Survey Chair Sara Rutledge, independent real estate economist and data science research fellow at StratoDem Analytics.
“The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has not broadly impacted hiring and investment plans at panelists’ firms, although panelists from the goods-producing sector do report some incidence of increased investments, and a shift toward hiring and investments from abroad to the U.S.,” adds Rutledge. “While nearly eight out of 10 panelists indicate that trade policy changes are not impacting hiring, investment, and/or pricing, a larger share of panelists from the goods-producing sector compared to other sectors reports that adjustments are being made at their firms, with higher prices and delayed investments cited as the most prevalent changes.”
For more information on the report, visit: www.nabe.com
