Beige Book Report: Boston
June 4, 2014
Business activity generally continues to increase on a year-over-year basis in the First District, but performance varies across sectors. Manufacturers and tourism contacts note strong results, software and IT services firms cite strengthening sales, staffing services respondents indicate activity has picked up recently, while retail reports are somewhat mixed. In real estate, commercial conditions are largely unchanged since the last report, while single-family home sales and prices declined year-over-year in March in four of the six New England states. Contacts in most sectors indicate that price pressures are minimal; a few manufacturers mention high or rising prices for selected inputs. Most responding firms say they are neither augmenting nor cutting headcount; some note that jobs in selected occupations remain difficult to fill. Outlooks remain quite positive, even in sectors where recent results have not been strong, but apparently not sufficiently positive to result in plans for increased hiring.
Retail and Tourism
Retail sources contacted for this round report comparable store sales results ranging from an 8 percent decrease to a 10 percent increase year-over-year. One chain indicates an improving trend, with first quarter sales down 8 percent from a year earlier and April sales down 5 percent; they expect this month to end with sales 1 percent to 2 percent below May 2013.Another contact reports that April sales were up 10 percent but predicts that May will finish 5 percent to 10 percent above last year. Apparel sales have softened a bit, with some of this decline attributed to cooler weather lingering in the northeast; one contact notes that with the weather finally getting warmer over the last few weeks, spring and summer clothing sales have picked up. Furniture sales are down a bit. Some inventories are a bit higher than anticipated. Despite these rather mixed results, contacts continue to believe that the U.S. economy is improving--one source terms the recent weakness "just a hiccup."
Boston hotel revenues were up 4.8 percent year-over-year in 2014:Q1. In April, Boston-area hotel occupancy rates were above 90 percent, which is unusually high, and observers say they expect hotel revenues to exceed those posted for April 2013. Some of this increase is due to business related to the 2014 Marathon, which had almost 36,000 entrants compared to about 17,600 in 2013. Boston area restaurants also did well in April, although final numbers are not yet in. For 2014:Q1, Boston restaurant revenues were up 4.9 percent over 2013:Q1--this breaks down as flat in January, a 3.4 percent increase in February, and a 7.6 percent increase in March. Attendance at Boston area museums and attractions was down in 2012 and 2013, but attendance and revenues in 2014:Q1 were up 3 percent over 2013:Q1.
Manufacturing and Related Services
First District manufacturers report that business conditions in the sector are strong. Of the 13 firms contacted this cycle, 12 report higher year-on-year sales and the one firm with a decline attributes the slow sales to weather and says that underlying sales growth is exceptionally strong. Contacts' only serious concerns involve international sales. A firm that sells building equipment reported "Europe is still a mess." Two contacts express some concern about China, saying that growth had slowed or was slower than expected. For many companies, new products are the engine of growth. For example, a contact in the dairy industry said that almond milk will generate significant growth.
Of the 12 firms reporting information about inventories, six cite flat inventories, five note higher inventories and only one saw a reduction. The reasons for higher inventories are varied; a manufacturer of aircraft engines and a manufacturer of computer storage devices both attribute the higher inventories to new product introductions. None of our contacts view the rising inventories as cause for concern.
Most of our contacts report both flat prices and flat costs. One exception is a dairy firm citing an "all time high" for the price of raw milk. Two contacts indicate that energy prices are up. A manufacturer of aircraft engines notes that the prices of two key inputs, nickel and titanium, have risen and notes the possibility that the problems are due to turmoil in Russia, a key supplier of both metals. So far, the contact says the problems have affected prices but have not disrupted supply.
Most contacts report flat employment and wage growth in line with expectations, but there are some exceptions. Two firms report staff reductions. One of them, a manufacturer of business equipment, has recently concluded a major restructuring of the firm as their legacy business of providing equipment for physical mail has declined. Two firms, a software company and a manufacturer of storage devices, report that the market for software engineers is exceptionally tight. None of our contacts reports significant revisions to their capital spending plans. From almond milk to aircraft engines, the main driver of new spending appears to be new products. All 13 responding firms say their outlook for the rest of the year is positive.
Software and Information Technology Services
New England software and information technology services firms report strengthened business activity through May, with year-over-year revenue growth in the 5 percent to 20 percent range. Contacts attribute this growth to strong demand for technology services, increased consumer spending, and improvements in the manufacturing sectors of the United States and Western Europe. In general, firms are slightly incrementing headcount; two such expansions were a result of acquisitions. Wages largely remain flat, with one firm awarding a merit increase in the 3 percent range. There are no signs of increases in selling prices. Looking forward, New England software and IT contacts remain cautiously optimistic, expecting that revenue growth will continue as long as the global economy remains stable. Concerns include a weakening Chinese economy and general macroeconomic stability.
Staffing Services
New England staffing contacts report higher growth in recent months, with quarter-over-quarter revenue increases in the double-digit range and generally flat year-over-year growth. While the region's inclement winter weather contributed to soft business activity through the first quarter, billable hours increased by early April as the weather improved. Contacts generally report an uptick in labor demand, concentrated in the legal, internet technology, production, welding, and machine operation industries. However, one contact observes decreases in labor demand in the healthcare sector, particularly for medical assistants. Labor supply remains tight for specialized roles in the welding, web development, intellectual property, and internet technology spheres. As a result, firms continue to expand their recruiting and social media efforts to attract new talent and gain a larger share of the existing applicant pool. Bill and pay rates have largely held steady, although two contacts note slight increases in both rates. Looking forward, contacts continue to be optimistic, and anticipate that growth will continue through the next few months.
Commercial Real Estate
Conditions in the First District's commercial real estate market are largely unchanged since the last report. In Boston, office leasing activity is stable. Demand for space in the Seaport District, Back Bay, and Kendall Square remains very strong, while a few buildings in the Financial District still have elevated vacancy rates. Some new apartment buildings in Boston appear to be having trouble achieving the rents and occupancy levels they had hoped for. Contacts attribute this difficulty to the fact that a large number of high-end units came on the market in a short period of time. Some investors are reportedly starting to balk at Boston's high commercial real estate prices, but overall investor interest in the city remains very high. The growth pace of multifamily construction slowed in greater Boston while planned office construction increased, leaving overall construction activity roughly stable year-over-year.
In Hartford, office leasing fundamentals are steady; foot traffic increased but did not translate into increased deal volume. Also in the Hartford area, construction activity increased over last year in both the multifamily and mixed-use sectors, driven in part by state and local funding and tax credits. Leasing deals continue to proceed slowly in greater Providence, where business investment is seen as being held back by political and fiscal uncertainty at the state and local levels. Leasing activity remains robust in Portland, and that city's industrial leasing sector is described as particularly strong. Also in Portland, new permits for office construction continue to increase, with interest concentrated in downtown locations.
A regional lender saw an increase in commercial real estate loan volume in recent weeks. Contacts are either cautiously optimistic or, in Portland, unreservedly optimistic, that conditions in their respective commercial real estate markets will continue to improve slowly in the coming months, provided slow-to-modest economic growth continues at local and national levels. The outlook for office construction in greater Boston for the remainder of 2014 is very strong based on recent indicators but, looking farther ahead, contacts say the construction industry faces potential shortages of qualified workers. While such shortages are seen as a potential restraint on construction activity in 2015 and beyond, they are expected to be less severe in the First District than in some other U.S. regions.
Residential Real Estate
Sentiment across First District residential real estate markets can be summarized as generally positive, as contacts express optimism despite March data indicating year-over-year declines in single family home sales and in median sales price for single family homes in four of the six states. (Contacts in New Hampshire were unavailable for comment, while Maine saw an increase in sales and Rhode Island saw median prices rise.) For Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, sales also declined year-over-year in February. Respondents attribute the declines in single family homes sales to inventory shortages, weak employment security, and uncertainty surrounding changes to flood maps and flood insurance legislation. Lack of inventory remains the predominant constraint in Massachusetts, which once again saw available inventory decline relative to last year. While contacts indicate that inventories are beginning to expand in parts of Massachusetts as new sellers enter the market, they emphasize that inventory shortages cannot be resolved without new construction. Need for additional units, especially in the first time homebuyers market, is also noted in Connecticut, where multiple bids have started to occur and contacts state that developers are beginning to build. In Maine and Connecticut, short sales and foreclosures continue to be released to market, partially contributing to the decline in median sales prices.
The First District condominium market is doing somewhat better, with year-over-year closed sales increasing in all contacted states except Connecticut. Median sale prices for condos also increased relative to last year in all contacted states.