Sales lead way in Iowa Business Council Forecast
2 Dec 2014
Business Expansion, Economy
DES MOINES | Sales should increase over the next six months, according to the latest quarterly forecast from the Iowa Business Council.
Most IBC members, who are surveyed each quarter, say they expect to sustain or increase sales over the coming six months, although they foresee a slight dip in capital spending and employment.
The 2014Q4 IBC overall economic outlook survey index is 65, the same result as last quarter and three points ahead of this time last year.
The survey was completed by the corporate members of the council during the second half of November, the results of which were released Monday.
It’s a “business as usual” report, according to Elliott Smith, the IBC’s executive director.
“The economy still seems to be hitting on all its cylinders, which is good news,” he said. “Sales did pick up, which always bodes well for (other) metrics. Our capital spending and employment moved down ever so slightly, which was not too much to get worked up about.”
Sales forecasts are propping up a forecast that is largely optimistic.
“I would say, for the first half of 2015, the big companies here in the state expect trends to continue as they have been,” he said. (full article...)
WCF Courier, December 02, 2014 12:00 pm • By Jim Offner
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