The broader industrial economy is set to enter 2024 on shaky footing as an inventory hangover from the supply-chain crisis starts to look more and more like a prelude to underlying demand weakness and the reality of the reshoring boom proves much more nebulous and in flux than the prevailing narrative.
Maybe this time isn’t all that different for industrial companies. In a normal economic cycle, consumer-facing manufacturers feel the effects of a slowdown first, followed by industrial operations that can convert bookings into sales relatively quickly.
How many multibillion-dollar settlements does 3M Co. need before it can move on from its myriad legal woes? Definitely more than one, and therein lies the problem with owning shares of the maker of Post-it notes, automotive adhesives, and N95 masks.
At some point, the world might have too many planes again. But it’s a little early to worry about that too much.
Two of the biggest U.S. airlines are taking aggressive measures to ensure that as many employees as possible are inoculated against Covid-19.
