The BlueTarp Building Supply Index - 2017 Q1

Click here to download the Index as a PDF

How to Interpret the Index

BlueTarp’s Building Supply Index is a quarterly measure of the economic health of the building supply industry. The Index is a weighted composite of proprietary BlueTarp spending and delinquency data as well as three macro-economic factors: building permits, construction spend, and consumer confidence. BlueTarp’s spending and delinquency data offers a unique cross-section of the industry, representing trends from experience with 120,000 pro customers at over 2,000 suppliers across the United States including hardware stores, lumber yards, building material suppliers, flooring, and plumbing/HVAC.

The index value of 100 is benchmarked to April 2013. Values below 100 reflect recessionary or recovering performance. Values above 100 reflect healthy economic activity. The Index shows both an unadjusted and 12-month trailing average view to incorporate seasonality. The best way to interpret the unadjusted view is to compare current quarter performance to the same quarter the previous year. The best way to read the trailing average view, is quarter to quarter in the same year. A higher value vs. previous timeframe reflects further strengthening. A lower value would indicate weakening.
 

Macro Economic Drivers

Spend and Delinquency

How to Read This:

The chart above reflects a trailing 12-month average of our proprietary spend and delinquency data from pro customers of BlueTarp’s 2,000+ suppliers across the US. Each data point reflects the average spend and delinquency of contractors for a given month. The best way to read is to compare data point to data point.
 

Contractor Sentiment

Highlights:

• Optimism about the health of the US economy remains very high in Q1, at levels comparable to Q4’s survey. Respondents cite President Trump, a business friendly environment, and new jobs driving their sentiment. 

Macro-economic data points can be restated up to four months post release.

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About the Author

BlueTarp helps B2B suppliers fund the growth of their business by paying them upfront for their sales and protecting them from credit risk. Customize your program by choosing to manage customer interactions as you do today, while we stay behind the scenes. Or, select a full-service option where we handle customer service and collections for you.

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