COVID-19


Hostess Brands Has Strong Quarter Despite COVID-19

Hostess Brands had a favorable first quarter despite the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, with revenues rising in the double digits. Sales rose 14.4 percent, hitting $243.5 million, mostly due to the $320-million acquisition of Voortman Cookies Limited in December.… more

Unemployment Rate Hits 14.7 Percent

The unemployment rate hit 14.7 percent in April after non-farm payroll fell by 20.5 million throughout the month, reported the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics. Unemployment rose by 10.3 percent, following several months of record-breaking strong employment numbers. The 20.5… more

KCMO’s Reopening Plans Might be Delayed

Kansas City's reopening plan for restaurants and others businesses might be delayed due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the Triumph Foods plant in St. Jospeh, which employees several KC residents, as well as another one at the McCrite Plaza at… more

Most Pools Likely Closed Over Summer

It looks like most public pools in the Kansas City area will be closed this summer. Prairie Village and Roeland Park have both opted to go that route, while Kansas City, Mo., and Overland Park seem to be considering a… more

Neiman Marcus Joins Other Big Bankruptcies

Upscale department-store chain Neiman Marcus has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, joining a list of companies that have filed for bankruptcy recently, due in part to COVID-19 pain. Neiman's closest store to the Kansas City area is in St. Louis,… more

Q&A With … Stephen Penn of KPMG

Stephen Penn is the office managing partner for KPMG in Kansas City. Q. Six weeks into the carnage, what's the damage assessment report you would deliver on the state of regional business? A. There’s probably a lot more going to… more

Credit Card Consumers Well Positioned Before COVID-19

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, consumers were luckily in a good place, generally, in terms of paying their balances and making overall payments, according to the American Bankers Association. During last year's fourth quarter, for example, a record number of… more

Unemployment Claims Better, but Still Bad

Just under 3.2 million filed for unemployment benefits the week ended May 2, according to the weekly report by the U.S. Department of Labor. It's an improvement from the prior week by about 677,000, but the insured unemployment rate was… more

Car-Rental Companies Hit by COVID-19

The major car-rental companies are seeing major decreases in sales and profits due to flight occupancy being down 95 percent on many carriers. Hertz recently missed a payment to a group of lenders and has until May 22 to reach… more

Auto Dealers Lose $2.6B in Two Months

Auto and truck dealerships lost $2.6 billion in potential profits from the beginning of March through the start of May, says a recent J.D. Power report. Customer purchases were down $41.3 billion during the period, with new-vehicle purchases dropping $26.3… more