Confidence drives Building Supply Index
BlueTarp Financial – the management company for B2B suppliers – released its second quarter 2018 Building Supply Index.
The second quarter 2018 12-month trailing average, which accounts for seasonality, hit an all-time high at 132.48, up from 130.92 in the first quarter of 2018. The unadjusted view also remained high at 139.16.
To interpret the index, values below 100 reflect recessionary or recovering performance. Values above 100 reflect healthy economic activity.
Consumer confidence continues to be the main driver for the elevated Index level – a 7% increase over this time last year, according to BlueTarp.
As a supplement to the Building Supply Index, BlueTarp conducts a quarterly survey of its contractors to gauge sentiment on the current and future state of the economy. Over half of respondents are seeing growing sales compared to this time last year. While optimism remains high, contractors are challenged to find quality employees with the labor shortage.
“Contractor optimism for the future seems to reflect the strong sales they are experiencing this year,” said Scott Simpson, president and CEO of BlueTarp. “We continue to warn that elevated delinquencies are a danger to be heeded. A shock to the system, whether from trade policy or other disruption, will transform these delinquencies into bad debts and bankruptcies. Prudent dealers and contractors should be preparing now for darker days to come.”
The report represents trends from 120,000 pro customers and more than 2,000 building material suppliers across the United States, according to BlueTarp. It also incorporates macro-economic drivers including: building permits, construction spend and consumer confidence as reported monthly by the Census Bureau and The Conference Board.
The second quarter 2018 12-month trailing average, which accounts for seasonality, hit an all-time high at 132.48, up from 130.92 in the first quarter of 2018. The unadjusted view also remained high at 139.16.
To interpret the index, values below 100 reflect recessionary or recovering performance. Values above 100 reflect healthy economic activity.
Consumer confidence continues to be the main driver for the elevated Index level – a 7% increase over this time last year, according to BlueTarp.
As a supplement to the Building Supply Index, BlueTarp conducts a quarterly survey of its contractors to gauge sentiment on the current and future state of the economy. Over half of respondents are seeing growing sales compared to this time last year. While optimism remains high, contractors are challenged to find quality employees with the labor shortage.
“Contractor optimism for the future seems to reflect the strong sales they are experiencing this year,” said Scott Simpson, president and CEO of BlueTarp. “We continue to warn that elevated delinquencies are a danger to be heeded. A shock to the system, whether from trade policy or other disruption, will transform these delinquencies into bad debts and bankruptcies. Prudent dealers and contractors should be preparing now for darker days to come.”
The report represents trends from 120,000 pro customers and more than 2,000 building material suppliers across the United States, according to BlueTarp. It also incorporates macro-economic drivers including: building permits, construction spend and consumer confidence as reported monthly by the Census Bureau and The Conference Board.