Honeywell International (HON 53) is one of the companies we like to use for benchmarking our industry. It’s a controls company, and it’s an exceptionally well run company. HON released financial guidance and held their investor conference call on December 15. Here’s what we learned…
On December 15, Honeywell released very positive guidance, even as it addressed the potential for a global slowdown.
http://investor.honeywell.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=94774&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1640010&highlight=
Posted in Benchmark Companies, Business Climate, Pick.
By Ted Dieck
– December 19, 2011
North Korean dictator, dead at 69.
International implications are extensive. Immediate concerns for South Korea, Japan, China, and the U.S., with 30,000 troops still monitoring the decades old “conflict.”
Posted in International.
By Ted Dieck
– December 18, 2011
The last U.S. forces unceremoniously pulled out of Iraq today.
Literally. I can find no reference to any Good Luck/Fair Well/Thanks For Freeing Us/Don’t Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out Ceremony.
News headlines often included the phrase “ending the war,” or something similar. Film crews featured extensive coverage of elated U.S. troops finally coming home.
Other voices acknowledge that there is no end to war in the Mid East. Violence in Iraq will likely escalate.
Iraq can’t run its own supply lines, let alone defend itself.
And Iran is a nuclear-capable terrorist sponsor. Tehran is very clear about its violent and expansive intentions.
I would assume that Iran will begin participating in Iraq almost immediately. We’ll check back in a year.
Recruiter’s View
This is a very hot topic and a very complicated topic. My notes here merely register an event for future reference.
However, from a recruiter’s point of view, and focusing purely on job creation…
Oil and gas interests in the Middle East are immediately at increased risk.
U.S. based energy production will feel new urgency for building out our domestic capacity.
Employment will increase with those efforts.
Posted in Employment Scene, International, Landmark Events.
By Ted Dieck
– December 18, 2011
Last week, the improved unemployment numbers were so lovely, even the government didn’t believe them. This week, the reports got even better, and economists still don’t trust ‘em.
For whatever reason, jobless claims haven’t fallen this low since the middle of 2008.
The federal government’s Random Number Generator surprised us twice.
Last week, the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report registered a big drop in new claims, coming in at 385,000. This week, seasonally adjusted initial claims dropped another 19,000 to a total 366,000.
That’s significant in my world, because initial claims totaling less than 350,000 generally coincide with me being very busy.
Posted in Business Climate, Economy, Employment Scene, Market Indicators, Pick.
By Ted Dieck
– December 16, 2011
Can strong international corporations offset collapsing economies? Maybe.
My radar is picking up increasing international activity – and lack of activity. Much of it is defensive.
Retailers are postponing planned expansions in Europe.
Airlines are erasing European flights from upcoming schedules.
Europe, itself, is on the ropes.
Major international players are withdrawing their exposure to the European market in a major No Confidence vote on the Euro.
Initially, I wonder whether these defensive pull backs simply anticipate recessions or do they, in fact, cause recessions?
Finally, I’m left with a greater question… Does it even matter?
The looming destruction of an entire currency makes the combined size of corporate repositioning insignificant.
Entire countries and continents teeter on collapse under massive debt.
Sadly, U.S. debt is proportionately far worse than European debt.
Posted in Business Climate, Employment Scene, Energy, Financial Markets, International, Pick.
By Ted Dieck
– December 14, 2011
The social networking site for professionals, LNKD went public today, trading as high as $122.70.
That had to be a thrill for founder and Chairman Reed Hoffman and CEO Jeff Weiner. After trotting around the country, doing the pre-IPO shows, and pitching the company at $32 – $35; they sold 10% of their company at $45/share on Wednesday.
Thursday morning we saw how underwriters make their money.
Bank of America and Morgan Stanley jacked up the price over and over on a delayed opening, finally springing the gate somewhere around $83/share.
It would seem the underwriters manufactured a spare $100 million dollars and slipped out the backdoor, leaving Hoffman and Weiner with an interesting challenge.
Posted in Business Climate, Employment Scene, Landmark Events, Market Indicators, Pick, Uncategorized.
By Ted Dieck
– May 19, 2011
Anti-government protests across North Africa and the Middle East saw the first major escalation of violence today. International forces are now involved.
As Muammar Qaddafi rolled toward a crushing victory over Libyan rebels, the United Nations Security Council pondered, then passed a resolution authorizing the use of force to protect whatever Libyan civilians might still be alive.
The resolution, initially requested by the Arab League, was passed on March 17. It authorized a no-fly zone and the use of “all necessary measures… to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamhariya, including Benghazi, while excluding an occupation force.”
UN News Centre – Protect Civilians
News coverage this morning, March 20, confirms that U.S. allies have responded with 25 ships in the Mediterranean, RAF Tornado strike jets, and 114 cruise missiles, attacking military targets of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.
In related coverage, the Arab League reportedly complains that the violence has caused civilian deaths.
Posted in International, Landmark Events, Recent.
By Ted Dieck
– March 20, 2011
Look at it this way: If rising prices include an indication of demand, wouldn’t that also point to where jobs are being created?
If you don’t need to eat and you don’t care to do anything, you’re in pretty good shape.
Otherwise, the Producer Price Index is here to tell you what you already know: The cost of food and energy is starting to run up in an attention getting sort of way.
Posted in Economy, Employment Scene, Energy, Pick.
By Ted Dieck
– March 19, 2011
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan on March 11, triggering a tsunami that pushed more than 12 miles inland, crippling four nuclear reactors in Fukushima.
In Tokyo, Japan’s famous tremor resistant architecture survived repeated high magnitude aftershocks.
It was the tsunami along the northern coast that was most devastating. Destruction from fast moving ocean waters was immediate and complete. Early projections of lives lost escalated steadily, quickly climbing past 6,000 people killed and over 10,000 missing.
Tens of thousands of suddenly homeless refugees were directed to shelters that, themselves, struggled to provide aid with insufficient heat, electricity, water, or food.
Posted in Economy, Employment Scene, Financial Markets, International, Landmark Events, Recent.
By Ted Dieck
– March 11, 2011
March Madness
The whole world’s going nuts, but events are strangely conspiring to drive business to the U.S.
I was still basking in the uplifting e-mails I reported in “February Readers Respond.”
It was generally positive stuff, and basically consistent with numbers I was seeing.
Except for the part where the whole world started going on “Tilt.”
I promise, this has a happy ending, but really…
Continued…
Posted in Business Climate, China, Economy, Employment Scene, Energy, Financial Markets, International, Market Indicators, Pick, Political Commentary.
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By Ted Dieck – March 23, 2011