National

KC-based ProPharma acquires Diamond Pharma

Overland Park-based ProPharma Group continues its expansion and international reach, announcing the acquisition of U.K.-based Diamond Pharma Services. ProPharma said it purchased Diamond Pharma Services for an undisclosed amount. Like ProPharma, Diamond Pharma Services provides regulatory and compliance services for… more

U.S. nursing homes report 82 percent drop in COVID cases

More than 14,000 nursing homes and long term care facilities in the U.S. represented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) show an 82 percent decline in new COVID-19 cases among residents, according to… more

Mortgage rates climb higher in last week of February

Mortgage rose over the month of February, climbing notable in the last week of the month. By some measures, rates rose in the final week at their fastest pace in years and while they are still very low in historic… more

Construction project spending makes record rise in January

U.S. construction spending for commercial and residential projects rose to a record in January, according to the Census Bureau. Construction outlays totaled $1.369 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, 1.8% higher than an upwardly revised $1.346 trillion in December. January’s… more

Staffing sector projected to grow 12 percent in 2021

The staffing sector is projected to make a strong turnaround in 2021, according to a report from Bridgepoint. As COVID-19 vaccine distribution continues, its rollout is expected to help stabilize regulation and work security for various industries across the U.S.… more

WeWork settles legal dispute with SoftBank

A lawsuit between American commercial real estate company WeWork and multinational conglomerate holding company SoftBank Group Corp. has been put to rest after the two reached a settlement on Friday. WeWork provides flexible shared workspaces for technology startups and services… more

House to vote on $1.9T COVID-19 relief bill today

The U.S. House of Representatives continues the debate on Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill on Friday. If approved, the measure would send a new round of emergency financial aid to households, small businesses and state and local governments. Democrats… more

Banks pull in $60B in Q4

Yearly income was down by more than a third compared to 2019 numbers, according to the latest FDIC numbers, although banks pulled in almost $60 billion in net income last quarter, up 9.1 percent, largely on reduced loan loss provisions.… more

Total bankruptcy filings drop nearly 50 percent in third week of February compared to one year ago

Total filings were down by nearly 50 percent during the third week of February compared to the same week last year, according to a report from the American Bankruptcy Institute. Once again, the largest decline involved Chapter 13 filings, which… more

In a Nutshell

Recently Eurostat announced that eurozone GDP contracted at an annual pace of 2.8% during the fourth quarter and 6.8% for all of 2020.  By comparison the U.S. economy grew at a preliminary annual pace of 4% during the fourth quarter, while declining… more