Office equipment is expected to remain a buyer’s market for the next few quarters as a result of macroeconomic conditions, which are reducing the demand for devices such as printers, copiers, fax machines, and multi-functional devices (MFDs). These conditions have caused office equipment sales to deteriorate throughout 2008 and 2009, with no upturn anticipated [...]

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The ISM’s PMI came in at 58.4 for January, which is significantly higher than I expected (I was thinking it would be around 55). This is the highest number in five years, and it is a clear indicator that the recovery we started seeing in the fourth quarter is showing signs of sustainability. [...]

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The media buying market is has moved into unfamiliar territory lately. So unfamiliar that even the granddaddy of advertising itself, The Super Bowl, has had to resort to lowering prices. The market has softened so much that for only the second time in the history of the Super Bowl, advertisers are getting a [...]

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Regardless of who might have authorship rights (Pimco? Ariba? Others?), the concept of “The New Normal” has definitely caught on in both the mainstream media and spend management circles .
However, it’s important to remember that “the New Normal” doesn’t translate directly to “permanent low GDP growth” as has been put forth by some investment advisors.
Instead, [...]

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Buyers of chemicals always need to know what’s happening in their markets, and more importantly what will happen, to make informed purchasing decisions. The problem is that forecasting chemicals markets is more of an art than a science, and well-structured (but subsequently erroneous) predictions have made some of the best analysts look like novices [...]

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