Posted on 04/14/2009 8:54:20 AM PDT by Petronski
Q: What are the latest cardboard shipment figures telling us about our economy?
A: The patient is still sick — and no sign of recovery has shown up in the box numbers so far.
According to the Fibre Box Association, shipments fell 3.5 percent in the second quarter of last year, compared with a year earlier. Then they fell 3.3 percent in the third quarter. After that, the bottom fell out: Shipments fell 9.9 percent in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier.
This year corrugated box shipments have fallen, on a year-over-year basis, 5.1 percent in January and 8.3 percent in February. The numbers for March will be out in mid-April.
"There has been no improvement relative to the previous three months," Longbow Research analyst Joshua Zaret said. "March should show some seasonal improvement within a context of weak overall demand, but these are very poor numbers."
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Doom and gloom ping list. Economics and geo-political economics.
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I wonder if bubble wrap and packing numbers are down also.
I have a friend who is a long haul trucker out west and
work for him has been slimmer and slimmer.
Don't you just hate it when that happens to a cardboard box?
Is the stimulus working yet?
i have worked for the past 10 years for a box mfg...we have been holding our own despite watching other pkg mfgs around us suffer...today our company is announcing pay cuts...how much i have no idea....and obama wants to say the recovery is happening....thanks bambi but i need my change more now than ever....
Nothing to see here... People are just taking Joe Biden’s words to heart. Believing it is patriotic to pay taxes they are now buying locally so they can proudly pay their sales taxes. No need for boxes anymore. These folks are just bellyaching and should be off to reeducation camp shortly.
Cardboard is a leading indicator, too, since managers must order enough to carry anticipated shipments.
Hat tip for the article: Markytom at tickerforum.org.
Thanks for the ping.
One of the biggest makers of bubble wrap - their stock is down to 14 from 55 or so. I think all packaging is affected.
update on our 1pm meeting....401k matching funds halted....hourly employees pay cut 5% salaried employees cut 10% (thats me) and our company has yet to operate in the red....who’s kidding who....
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