Productivity Gains Will Drive Stock Markets Higher

I have developed a fascination with one of the biggest life-changing events that has enveloped our economy, and our lives, and offers infinite promise: A.I. As I have written in the past, I have witnessed three life-changing events in my 50-plus-year career: the invention of the personal computer, the advent of cellular telephony and the Internet. Each of these drove…

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First Look – April 2024

TOP NEWS Breedon GroupBreedon Group plc, a vertically integrated construction materials group in Great Britain and Ireland, announced the acquisition of BMC Enterprises Inc. The price was $300 million. BMC is a supplier of ready-mixed concrete, aggregates and building products headquartered in St Louis, with a strong track record of both organic and transactional growth. Rogers GroupRogers Group Inc. (RGI)…

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The Pulse

By Allen-Villere Partners THE PULSE: CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS MARKET ANALYSIS PIERRE-VILLERE’S MARKET ASSESSMENTIn the latest update on the construction materials industry, the AVP Pulse Index experienced a modest decline of 0.7% for the month, although it experienced a strong year-ever-year growth of 5.5%. Over the past 36 months, the index increased impressively by 13.7%, indicating sustained strength within the sector. Notably, industry stocks continue to…

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First Look – March 2024

FIRST LOOK TOP NEWSVulcan MaterialsVulcan Materials Co. announced results for the quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2023, reporting total revenues of $1.83 billion in the fourth quarter versus $1.73 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022; and $7.78 billion for full-year 2023 versus $7.32 billion for full-year 2022. Summit MaterialsSummit Materials Inc. announced results for the fourth quarter and…

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The AVP Pulse Index for February

Feb. 20, 2024 – The AVP Pulse Index this month rose 1.2% month-over-month, while increasing 5.6% year-over-year.  The index is up 16.5% over the past 36 months. The proprietary AVP Pulse Index – a joint effort between mergers and acquisition advisors Allen-Villere Partners, and Rock Products – illustrates the health of the industry in one single trend line, using relevant data that…

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First Look – February 2024

TOP NEWS CRHCaterpillar Inc. has signed an electrification strategic agreement with CRH to advance the deployment of Caterpillar’s zero-exhaust emissions solutions. CRH is the number-one aggregates producer in North America and the first company in that industry to sign such an agreement with Caterpillar. Summit MaterialsSummit Materials shareholders approved proposals at the heart of a September 2023 agreement with Colombia-based…

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The AVP Pulse Index for January

Jan. 18, 2024 – The AVP Pulse Index this month rose 2.4% month-over-month, while increasing 5.5% year-over-year. The proprietary AVP Pulse Index – a joint effort between mergers and acquisition advisors Allen-Villere Partners, and Rock Products – illustrates the health of the industry in one single trend line, using relevant data that is updated monthly or quarterly. “The monthly Index further enforces…

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First Look – January 2024

TOP NEWS Granite Granite Construction announced the acquisition of Lehman-Roberts Co. and Memphis Stone & Gravel Co., longstanding asphalt paving and asphalt and aggregates producers and suppliers.  Silvi Materials Shipping sand products to Brooklyn, N.Y., and the five boroughs of Manhattan is a challenge. But Silvi Materials now has a new high-quality, cost-effective solution, launching barges from a new port located about…

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The Tide Has Turned

The Fed has said it: interest rates are coming down. Fed Chairman Jay Powell surprised markets in early December when he announced, somewhat unexpectedly, that the Fed was not planning to raise rates any further, and, in fact, was projecting three rate cuts in 2024 now that inflation has cooled.  Surprisingly, the Fed’s quarterly economic projections released in December, the…

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The AVP Pulse Index for December

Dec. 27, 2023 – The AVP Pulse Index this month rose 0.6% month-over-month, while increasing 3.8% year-over-year.  The proprietary AVP Pulse Index – a joint effort between mergers and acquisition advisors Allen-Villere Partners, and Rock Products – illustrates the health of the industry in one single trend line, using relevant data that is updated monthly or quarterly. “With our proprietary algorithm, a…

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