National

Contractor Confidence Hits Record Low

Expectations for sales, profit margins and staffing levels expectations fell below the threshold of 50 for the first time in the history of the  Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Construction Confidence Index. Sales expectations, due to COVID-19, decreased from 68.3… more

Hotel Industry Asks Congress For Aid

The hotel industry, which has been plagued by the impact of COVID-19 and seen its occupancy plunge due to a severe downturn in travel and business meetings, is asking Congress for help. In a letter to Congress, the American Hotel… more

Q&A With … Don Greenwell, The Builders’ Association

Don Greenwell is president of the Builders' Association in Kansas City, representing the interests of the construction sector in such matters as policy and work-force development. Q. The construction sector nationally shed 29,000 jobs last month amid the pandemic slowdown;… more

Euronet Worldwide Expands in U.S. With Acquisition

Euronet Worldwide might be based in Leawood, but most of the consumer financial services it provides, such as banking ATMs, are found overseas. That is changing with its acquisition of Dolphin Debit, a full-service ATM outsourcing company with 1,900 of… more

Seaboard Reports $103M Loss

Merriam-based Seaboard Corp. reported a $103 million loss during its most recent quarter, a big drop from the same year-ago period, when the company earned $57 million. Net sales did rise, hitting about $1.7 billion from $1.5 billion last year.… more

Retailer Curbside Pickup Soars During COVID-19

Goods ordered by consumers and picked curbside at stores saw a dramatic increase between April 1 and April 20, shooting up by 208 percent from the same year-ago period, according to Adobe Analytics. The news is welcome for a retail… more

Top KC-Area Financial Execs Talk COVID-19

Both Commerce Bancshares and Waddell & Reed Financial released their quarterly earnings today, and COVID-19 impacts on their businesses were top of mind for their executives. In the case of Kansas City-based Commerce, which saw net income fall to $51.9… more

Trump Immigration Decree Comes Under Fire

With nearly 27 million people thrust onto the jobless roles over the past six weeks, the pool for potential hires will be broad and deep for companies ramping back up in May after the pandemic-spawned shutdowns across America. That, however,… more

Major Retailers Call for Uniform Reopening Plans

Two of the biggest retail trade organizations are calling on governors to have a "mutually agreed upon blueprint" for reopening stores. The National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association are asking for states to follow CDC guidelines and… more

Consumer Confidence Plunges in April

Yet another economic report provided grim news in the wake of COVID-19's spread. The University of Michigan's Index of Consumer Sentiment has come in at 71.8 for the month, down 26.1 percent year over year and 19.4 percent month over… more