The index of small business optimism has risen to a seven-month high of 105.0 in May, up from 103.5 in April. The NMMA reported in its daily Currents e-newsletter that for the past 12 months, the index’s monthly average has been 105.1.
U.S. boat brokerage unit sales were up 2.1 percent R12M YOY through March. The data through March marks the first month this growth rate has reached positive territory since July 2014, driven by YOY increases in monthly brokerage unit sales since October 2018.
U.S. home prices in March were up 3.7 percent year over year. Since May 2018, home prices have been growing at an increasingly slower pace.
The NMMA also reported that as of May 2019, the manufacturing economies in 12 out of the top 20 destination countries for U.S. boat exports are growing. In May 2018, 16 out of the top 20 boat export countries’ manufacturing economies were growing.
