Displaying items tagged: Comerica Inc

This is the growth report for January 18, 2020.

GRAND RAPIDS — Pallet management firm Kamps Inc. has sold a majority interest to Los Angeles, Calif.-based private equity firm Freeman Spogli & Co.

Fears of a national recession in 2020 are largely unfounded. So insists Jim Robey, director of regional economic planning services at the Kalamazoo-based W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

A combination of factors came together in 2019 to take a bite out of Michigan’s economy. The six-week General Motors strike, white-collar job cuts at GM and Ford early in 2019, a slowing manufacturing sector, and relatively flat auto sales collectively held back the state’s growth this year.

Employers across West Michigan granted pay raises this year averaging 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent, according to annual survey data.

A monthly index of West Michigan’s economy returned to “moderate growth” in August after taking what economist Brian Long calls a “substantial dip” a month earlier.

As U.S. economic growth slows, so too does Michigan’s economy.

Commercial bankers say clients’ demand for credit remains strong, although borrowers in West Michigan are carefully watching what’s ahead for the economy.

Robert Dye views 2019 as a “transitional year” for the U.S. economy as a trio of forces align to moderate growth during the year.

Mergers and acquisition activity remained strong in West Michigan through the third quarter, as many sellers opted to go to market while they can still get a good price for their businesses.

Comerica Inc. Chief Economist Robert Dye sees Michigan’s economy performing in the second half of 2018 much as it has in the first half, with continued growth but at a decidedly slower rate than in past years. 

Brian Long anticipated by now to see proof that the U.S. economy had started to flatten out. 

M&A activity remained strong in the first quarter, driven by a combination of factors including federal tax reform.

DETROIT –– Just a few years ago, Doug Rothwell could look at various bits of Michigan’s economic data and see few paths that led to the state becoming a “Top 10” state.

As the U.S. and Michigan economies remain on solid footing into 2018, economists expect growth rates for personal income in the state to move higher.

Economic outlooks project modest growth in the U.S. for the rest of this year and through 2018, along with further increases in interest rates.

Higher interest rates during 2017 haven’t acted as a damper on commercial lending in West Michigan, although some lenders are seeing borrowers moving to fixed-rate business loans.

Economists expect Michigan’s economy to grow through 2017, although at a little slower pace as automotive sales dip and the state’s manufacturing employment follows suit.

Over the past decade, many small business owners put off expansions or capital equipment purchases for as long as they could.

Economists expect Michigan to maintain economic growth in the coming year, albeit at a slower pace that will further tighten labor markets.

Executives answering the latest survey by Business Leaders for Michigan expect both the state and U.S. economies to grow at a slower pace through 2017.

Bankers say they hear it regularly from their clients: It’s gotten awfully hard to find good talent these days.

A handful of economic outlooks and surveys signal that Michigan’s economy should continue on an upward trajectory for the second half of this year and into 2017. 

A handful of economic outlooks and surveys signal that Michigan’s economy should continue on an upward trajectory for the second half of this year and into 2017. 

Comerica Inc. projects continued strong job growth and lower unemployment through this year and next across Western Michigan.