Thursday: ISM Mfg Survey, Unemployment Claims, Personal Income and Outlays, Construction Spending, and Yellen

A very busy day ...



Thursday:

• At 8:30 AM ET, the initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. The consensus is for claims to decrease to 320 thousand from 329 thousand.



• Also at 8:30 AM, Personal Income and Outlays for March. The consensus is for a 0.4% increase in personal income, and for a 0.6% increase in personal spending. And for the Core PCE price index to increase 0.2%.



• Also at 8:30 AM, Speech by Fed Chair Janet Yellen, Community Bank Supervision, At the Independent Community Bankers of America 2014 Washington Policy Summit, Washington, D.C.



• At 9:00 AM, the Markit US PMI Manufacturing Index for April.



• At 10:00 AM, the ISM Manufacturing Index for April. The consensus is for an increase to 54.2 from 53.7 in March. The ISM employment index was at 51.1% in March, and the new orders index was at 55.1%.



• At 10:00 AM, Construction Spending for March. The consensus is for a 0.6% increase in construction spending.



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FOMC Statement: More Taper, Economic Growth "picked up recently"

FOMC Statement:

Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in March indicates that growth in economic activity has picked up recently, after having slowed sharply during the winter in part because of adverse weather conditions. Labor market indicators were mixed but on balance showed further improvement. The unemployment rate, however, remains elevated. Household spending appears to be rising more quickly. Business fixed investment edged down, while the recovery in the housing sector remained slow. Fiscal policy is restraining economic growth, although the extent of restraint is diminishing. Inflation has been running below the Committee's longer-run objective, but longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable.



Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Committee seeks to foster maximum employment and price stability. The Committee expects that, with appropriate policy accommodation, economic activity will expand at a moderate pace and labor market conditions will continue to improve gradually, moving toward those the Committee judges consistent with its dual mandate. The Committee sees the risks to the outlook for the economy and the labor market as nearly balanced. The Committee recognizes that inflation persistently below its 2 percent objective could pose risks to economic performance, and it is monitoring inflation developments carefully for evidence that inflation will move back toward its objective over the medium term.



The Committee currently judges that there is sufficient underlying strength in the broader economy to support ongoing improvement in labor market conditions. In light of the cumulative progress toward maximum employment and the improvement in the outlook for labor market conditions since the inception of the current asset purchase program, the Committee decided to make a further measured reduction in the pace of its asset purchases. Beginning in May, the Committee will add to its holdings of agency mortgage-backed securities at a pace of $20 billion per month rather than $25 billion per month, and will add to its holdings of longer-term Treasury securities at a pace of $25 billion per month rather than $30 billion per month. The Committee is maintaining its existing policy of reinvesting principal payments from its holdings of agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities in agency mortgage-backed securities and of rolling over maturing Treasury securities at auction. The Committee's sizable and still-increasing holdings of longer-term securities should maintain downward pressure on longer-term interest rates, support mortgage markets, and help to make broader financial conditions more accommodative, which in turn should promote a stronger economic recovery and help to ensure that inflation, over time, is at the rate most consistent with the Committee's dual mandate.



The Committee will closely monitor incoming information on economic and financial developments in coming months and will continue its purchases of Treasury and agency mortgage-backed securities, and employ its other policy tools as appropriate, until the outlook for the labor market has improved substantially in a context of price stability. If incoming information broadly supports the Committee's expectation of ongoing improvement in labor market conditions and inflation moving back toward its longer-run objective, the Committee will likely reduce the pace of asset purchases in further measured steps at future meetings. However, asset purchases are not on a preset course, and the Committee's decisions about their pace will remain contingent on the Committee's outlook for the labor market and inflation as well as its assessment of the likely efficacy and costs of such purchases.



To support continued progress toward maximum employment and price stability, the Committee today reaffirmed its view that a highly accommodative stance of monetary policy remains appropriate. In determining how long to maintain the current 0 to 1/4 percent target range for the federal funds rate, the Committee will assess progress--both realized and expected--toward its objectives of maximum employment and 2 percent inflation. This assessment will take into account a wide range of information, including measures of labor market conditions, indicators of inflation pressures and inflation expectations, and readings on financial developments. The Committee continues to anticipate, based on its assessment of these factors, that it likely will be appropriate to maintain the current target range for the federal funds rate for a considerable time after the asset purchase program ends, especially if projected inflation continues to run below the Committee's 2 percent longer-run goal, and provided that longer-term inflation expectations remain well anchored.



When the Committee decides to begin to remove policy accommodation, it will take a balanced approach consistent with its longer-run goals of maximum employment and inflation of 2 percent. The Committee currently anticipates that, even after employment and inflation are near mandate-consistent levels, economic conditions may, for some time, warrant keeping the target federal funds rate below levels the Committee views as normal in the longer run.



Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Janet L. Yellen, Chair; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Richard W. Fisher; Narayana Kocherlakota; Sandra Pianalto; Charles I. Plosser; Jerome H. Powell; Jeremy C. Stein; and Daniel K. Tarullo.

emphasis added

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Paper grade kaolin prices weaken in US

Competition forces producers to offer lower coast coating products



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India Turns to Russia to Help Supply Arms to Afghan Forces

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An exciting time for the Data Tribe

This is an exciting time to be a member of the "data tribe" (those who follow data closely and are willing to change their views based on the data). There are two new internet sites worth following: The Upshot at the NY Times, and Vox (both feeds added to right sidebar).



Here is fun piece from Neil Irwin at The Upshot: No One Cares About Economic Data Anymore. That’s Good News.

If people in your office seem to be tingling with excitement this week, it is probably because of all the big economic news on the way. The two biggest regular United States economic reports are scheduled to come out, with first-quarter gross domestic product on tap for Wednesday and April jobs numbers out on Friday. Federal Reserve policy makers are meeting Tuesday and Wednesday for one of their regular sessions to set the nation’s monetary policy. And a variety of other important data releases are coming, including personal income and spending, manufacturing and home prices.



What, no tingling? You’re not alone. Because as important as all that stuff is, it is substantially less important, and less interesting, than it has been any time in the last seven years. The economy has gotten boring, and that’s fantastic news — even if it would be even better news if that underlying growth path were a bit stronger.

Personally I'm excited about all the data to be released this week, but Irwin makes an excellent point. Most people don't feel the need to pay close attention any more.



P.S. A suggestion for The Upshot - drop the "The", just Upshot, it is cleaner.



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Chinese Pork Giant WH Group Shelves IPO

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Lithium prices on the rise from strong Q1 base

LCE values flat against 2013 averages but expected to climb over coming quarters



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Tuesday: Case-Shiller House Prices

Here is another graphic of changing demographics: The Next America. Some people look at this graphic and see the need to support an aging population - I look at this graphic, and I see one of the wonders of the 20th Century (increased life expectancy) - I also see that soon (by 2020) all of the largest cohorts will be under 40!



For Tuesday ... just wondering ... Will S&P post the press release online on a timely basis? And will the S&P website crash again?



Tuesday:

• At 9:00 AM ET, S&P/Case-Shiller House Price Index for February. Although this is the February report, it is really a 3 month average of December, January and February. The consensus is for a 13.0% year-over-year increase in the Composite 20 index (NSA) for February. The Zillow forecast is for the Composite 20 to increase 12.8% year-over-year, and for prices to increase 0.6% month-to-month seasonally adjusted.



• At 10:00 AM, Conference Board's consumer confidence index for April. The consensus is for the index to increase to 83.0 from 82.3.



• Also at 10:00 AM, the Q1 Housing Vacancies and Homeownership report from the Census Bureau. This report is frequently mentioned by analysts and the media to report on the homeownership rate, and the homeowner and rental vacancy rates. However, this report doesn't track with other measures (like the decennial Census and the ACS).



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In Fashion | How Stella Got Her Sheep Back

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TiO2 prices dip as rising demand fails to lift pigment feedstock

Values down across most regions but higher volumes indicate firming market



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Strike at Chinese Shoe Factory Ends Partially

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Weak graphite electrode prices hit manufacturers' profits

CCG optimistic on future electrode and graphene revenues while GrafTech slashes costs



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Top Economist Bhagwati Eyes Role in Modi Government in India

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Perfumers Promote Fair Trade for Haiti's 'Super-Crop'

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Price Briefing 18 – 24 April

Frac sand supply remains tight while stable outlook confirmed in bromine chemicals



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Trioxide grade antimony prices enter holding pattern in uncertain market

Weak demand keeps prices low but interest in Fanya exchange may be rising



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Adidas Shifts Orders From Striking China Plant

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1 Year After Factory Collapse Bangladeshis Suffer

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Silicon Valley industrial mineral demand aided by Redwood port expansion

A new wharf in California’s Redwood City will allow larger dry bulk ships to use the deep-water port in South San Francisco Bay, helping to fuel construction and economic growth in the US tech hub.



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Price Briefing 11 – 17 April

Railcar availability puts breaks on bentonite while FMC raises price of lithium hydroxide



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Albemarle reiterates stable outlook for bromine prices

Not all company price increases accepted but market is flat overall, says chemicals producer



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Obama and Abe to Huddle at Venerable Tokyo Sushi Counter

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Tuesday: Existing Home Sales, Richmond Fed Mfg Survey

Another builder reports below consensus results, from housing economist Tom Lawler: NVR: Net Orders Off Despite Jump in Community Count; Increased Mortgage Regulations Hit Mortgage Banking Income

NVR, Inc. the nation’s fourth largest home builder with a heavy concentration in the Mid-Atlantic region, reported that net home orders in the quarter ended March 31, 2014 totaled 3,325, down 5.3% from the comparable quarter of 2013. The company’s sales cancellation rate, expressed as a % of gross orders, was 12% last quarter, down from 13% a year ago. The company’s average community count last quarter was 481, up 10.6% from the comparable quarter of 2013. Home settlements totaled 2,211 last quarter, down 2.7% from the comparable quarter of 2013, at an average settlement price of $361,400, up 9.4% from a year ago. The company’s order backlog at the end of March was 6,059, down 2.5% from last March.



NVR’s operating income from its mortgage banking operation plunged by 91% from a year ago last quarter, with the decline attributed to a “more competitive” mortgage lending market, as well as higher G&A expenses “due to increased staffing in response to increased mortgage regulations and expected higher loan volume.”



NVR owned or controlled 65,800 lots at the end of March, up 10.2% from last March.



The company’s overall results last quarter were well below “consensus.”

Tuesday:

• Early, the Black Knight "First Look" at Mortgage performance (delinquencies and foreclosures) in March.



• At 9:00 AM ET, the FHFA House Price Index for February 2013. This was original a GSE only repeat sales, however there is also an expanded index. The consensus is for a 0.3% increase.



• At 10:00 AM, the Existing Home Sales for March from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). The consensus is for sales of 4.56 million on seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) basis. Sales in February were at a 4.60 million SAAR. Economist Tom Lawler estimates the NAR will report sales of 4.64 million SAAR.



• Also at 10:00 AM, the Richmond Fed Survey of Manufacturing Activity for April. The consensus is for a reading of 0, up from -7 in March.



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Reports of e-Cigarette Injury Jump Amid Rising Popularity U.S. Data Show

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Thursday: Unemployment Claims, Philly Fed Mfg Survey

Some more data from DataQuick: California March Home Sales

An estimated 32,923 new and resale houses and condos sold statewide in March. That was up 28.2 percent from 25,680 in February, and down 12.8 percent from 37,764 sales in March 2013, according to San Diego-based DataQuick.



Last month’s sales were the lowest for a March since 2008, when 24,565 homes sold – a record low for the month of March. California’s high for March sales was 68,848 in 2005. Last month's sales were 23.9 percent below the average of 43,251 sales for all months of March since 1988, when DataQuick's statistics begin. California sales haven’t been above average for any particular month in more than eight years.

...

Of the existing homes sold last month, 7.4 percent were properties that had been foreclosed on during the past year. That was down from a revised 8.0 percent in February and down from 15.0 percent a year earlier. California’s foreclosure resales peaked at 58.8 percent in February 2009.



Short sales - transactions where the sale price fell short of what was owed on the property - made up an estimated 7.4 percent of the homes that resold last month. That was down from an estimated 9.3 percent the month before and 18.7 percent a year earlier.

A common theme now: As distress sales decline, overall sales decline too.



Thursday:

• At 8:30 AM ET, the initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. The consensus is for claims to increase to 320 thousand from 300 thousand.



• At 10:00 AM, the Philly Fed manufacturing survey for April. The consensus is for a reading of 9.1, up from 9.0 last month (above zero indicates expansion).



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FMC ups lithium hydroxide prices by 10%

US firm looks to combat weakness in LiOH by raising product values globally



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Ukraine: Military Secures Airport From Attack

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Confusion over graphene prices prompts debate

Claims that the material is already an inexpensive commodity refuted by producers



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Logistics jams limit price rises for oilfield bentonite

Capacity challenges for pulverised Wyoming material could lead to value increases in near term



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WTO decision could lower rare earths prices

The consequence of the WTO’s ruling, urging China to increase its exports in a near-term scenario of oversupply might put pressure on prices, impacting profits and delaying entry into the market by new producers.



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House Price Index - February 2014

The House Price Index (HPI) is a monthly output based on mortgage completions data from the Regulated Mortgage Survey (RMS).



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House Price Index, February 2014

A monthly release that publishes figures for mix-adjusted average house prices and house price indices for the UK and its component countries and regions.



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House Price Index, February 2014: Annual Tables 20 to 39

An annual update of various aspects of the UK housing market including house price inflation and distribution of mortgage advances. This House Price Index reference table contains 20 tables relating to the ONS House Price Index.



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House Price Index, 2014 Weights Analysis

Historical time series providing a high level summary of the annual mix-adjustment weights used in the production of the ONS House Price Index for the period 2011 to 2014. The weights used in the House Price Index are updated in the February HPI of each year.



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Tuesday: CPI, NY Fed Mfg Survey, NAHB Homebuilder Confidence

The retail sales report released this morning was solid, but some of the strength was probably some bounce-back from the severe winter weather. Still the economy will probably be stronger in 2014 than in 2013.



From the LA Times: Surging retail sales signal an economy on the upswing

"We are inclined to view March strength as part of a normalization from a very weak winter, particularly December and January," Credit Suisse analysts wrote in a note to clients Monday.

...

"It's a bit early to put too much weight on the retail sales number," [Standard & Poor's analyst Diya Iyer] said. "We're hearing from a lot of companies that same-store sales aren't great."

...

Economists had also braced for retail sales to take more of a hit from a calendar shift that pushed Easter into April this year after helping to pad sales in March 2013.

Tuesday:

• At 8:30 AM ET, the Consumer Price Index for March. The consensus is for a 0.1% increase in CPI in February and for core CPI to increase 0.1%.



• Also at 10:00 AM, the NY Fed Empire State Manufacturing Survey for April. The consensus is for a reading of 7.5, up from 5.6 in March (above zero is expansion).



• At 8:45 AM, Speech by Fed Chair Janet Yellen, Opening Remarks, At the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Conference: 2014 Financial Markets Conference, Stone Mountain, Georgia.



• At 10:00 AM, the April NAHB homebuilder survey. The consensus is for a reading of 50, up from 47 in March. Any number above 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor.



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Softening stibnite prices add to drag on antimony values

Smelters with access to cheap raw material undercut competitors in struggling market



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Advice for Presenters and Attendees of Procurement Webinars by Kelly Barner

In a recent post on her Remarkable Leader blog, Roz Usheroff wrote about the importance of being likeable and effective as a virtual speaker. In addition to being a popular and cost effective means of reaching an audience, webinars are convenient ways of capturing content that can be made available on an ongoing basis to continue to spark discussion and gain traction.

Since February 2011, I have covered over 150 procurement and business webinars for Buyers Meeting Point. I have probably attended another hundred that I did not cover, for any number of reasons. That works out to an average of 1-2 webinars per week, every week, for three years. Beyond the fact that I am lucky to be alive after enduring something that few (if any) other people have subjected themselves to, I believe this experience uniquely qualifies me to give a little advice to the presenters and attendees of procurement webinars.

Presenters:

- Attendees understand that you are doing this as part of your marketing strategy. That being said, keep the straight promotional content to a minimum – 2 minutes max.

- Find yourself interesting while you are presenting. If you can’t be enthusiastic about a topic for 30 – 40 minutes, engage someone who can. Better yet, keep the energy level up by having two speakers alternate.

- Be realistic about what you can cover. If you say you are going to take questions, make sure you allow time for them. Don’t plan to present beyond the first 45 minutes of the hour time-frame. In the worst-case scenario, you wrap up 5 minutes early and we all get to use the bathroom before our next meetings – a gift for which we will be eternally grateful.

- PLEASE have your own seed questions ready in case the audience is shy. There is nothing worse (nothing!) than when there are no questions submitted and the moderator awkwardly explains that to the speaker and then concludes the event.

- Make sure that the webinar platform you are using works on PCs and MACs in the live event and on demand. If possible, play music before you start the presentation so we can figure out if our audio is working.

- Have a Twitter hashtag for the event and get your entire marketing staff to ‘live tweet’ interesting quotes. Better yet, get attendees to submit their questions and comments via Twitter using the hashtag.

Attendees:

- You will either get a copy of the presentation or you will not. Being the person who asks “Will we get a copy of the slides?” in a webinar is like being the person who yells “Get in the hole!” at a golf tournament. Enthusiasm notwithstanding, you are unlikely to change the outcome.

- Ask questions. The amount of information available to you for free, in the comfort of your own office, from amazing thought leaders is unbelievable. If you have signed up for an event, take a few minutes to prepare by looking up the speakers and take the opportunity to get more information.

- As a follow on tip, attend more events. Some organizations run regular webinar series and some tend to be more ad hoc about it. The more events you sign up for, the more information about future events you will receive. Sometimes you get really valuable freebies like analyst reports, which are well worth the 60 seconds required to register.

- If you register for an event, block the time in your calendar and show up. Based on the number and frequency of reminder emails I get, I can only imagine how much drop off there is between registration and attendance numbers.

I’d be interested in anyone else’s perspective on procurement webinars – from either side. You can share your thoughts by commenting below or via Twitter: @BuyersMeetPoint. As for me, I’ve already registered for my next two webinars. You can read all of my webinar notes under the Events menu on BuyersMeetingPoint.com

30

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ThomasNet.com: The Quiet Evolution of Dependable Certainty by Jon Hansen

Like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, there are some things you just take for granted without really giving it much conscious thought.

For those of us who have been in the purchasing industry for more years than we would care to admit, we can recall the days of frayed catalogs with paperclips and scribbled upon post it notes marking pages like the rings of a tree marks time. This was the world of a buyer when there was no Internet, and catalogs such as the Thomas Register were indispensable tools of our trade.

So what happened to Thomas Register, a buying guide listing industrial products and services that was first published in 1898?

With the same dependable certainty of day turning to night and night turning to day, the Thomas Register has become the quintessential web-based collaborative sourcing tool ThomasNet.com.

Joining me on Tuesday April 15th at 12:00 Noon ET will be Mark Holst-Knudsen, President of ThomasNet, and Tom Greco, Vice President, ThomasNet.com, to talk about this seemingly quiet evolution of a great idea and how the company is positioned to serve yet another generation of procurement professionals.

30

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Price Briefing 4 – 10 April

TiO2 prices rise in Ukraine while sellers’ market continues for frac sand



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Reply All: The 3.30.14 Issue

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In I.P.O. a Quest to Satisfy China's Appetite for Pork

By NEIL GOUGH from NYT Business Day http://ift.tt/1gNKrR0

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Friday: PPI, Consumer Sentiment

For amusement: Years ago, whenever there was a market sell-off, my friend Tak Hallus (Stephen Robinett) would shout at his TV tuned to CNBC "Bring out the bears!".



This was because CNBC would usually bring on the bears whenever there was a sell-off, and bulls whenever the market rallied.



Today was no exception with Marc Faber on CNBC:

"This year, for sure—maybe from a higher diving board—the S&P will drop 20 percent," Faber said, adding: "I think, rather, 30 percent"

And Faber from August 8, 2013:

Faber expect to see stocks end the year "maybe 20 percent [lower], maybe more!"

And from October 24, 2012:

"I believe globally we are faced with slowing economies and disappointing corporate profits, and I will not be surprised to see the Dow Jones, the S&P, the major indices, down from the recent highs by say, 20 percent," Faber said...

Since the market is up 30% since his 2012 prediction, shouldn't he be expecting a 50% decline now?



Friday:

• At 8:30 AM ET, the Producer Price Index for March from the BLS. The consensus is for a 0.1% increase in prices.



• At 9:55 AM, the Reuter's/University of Michigan's Consumer sentiment index (preliminary for April). The consensus is for a reading of 81.0, up from 80.0 in March.



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Trulia: Asking House Prices up 10.0% year-over-year in March

From Trulia chief economist Jed Kolko: Home Prices and Population Growth: Cities vs. Suburbs

Despite declining investor purchases and more inventory coming onto the market, asking home prices continued to rise at the start of the spring housing season. Month-over-month, asking prices rose 1.2% nationally in March 2014, seasonally adjusted. Quarter-over-quarter, asking prices rose 2.9% in March 2014, seasonally adjusted, reflecting three straight months of solid month-over-month gains.



Year-over-year, asking prices are up 10% nationally and up in 97 of the 100 largest metros. Albany, NY, Hartford, CT, and New Haven, CT, are the only three large metros where prices fell year-over-year, albeit slightly.

...

In March, rents rose 3.9% year-over-year nationally. Rent increases were higher for apartments (4.4% year-over-year) than for single-family homes (1.9% year-over-year).

emphasis added

In November 2013, year-over-year asking prices were up 12.2%. In December, the year-over-year increase in asking home prices slowed slightly to 11.9%. In January, the year-over-year increase was 11.4%, in February, the increase was 10.4% - and now the increase is 10.0%.



This suggests prices are still increasing, but at a slightly slower pace.



Note: These asking prices are SA (Seasonally Adjusted) - and adjusted for the mix of homes - and this suggests further house price increases, but at a slower rate, over the next few months on a seasonally adjusted basis.



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Ukrainian TiO2 prices expected to climb in April

Currency devaluation and higher gas costs push up values; Crimea Titan confirms contract changes



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Base Resources and Sierra Rutile report firming minsands markets

Structural improvements within sector continue during Q1 2014, miners say



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Thursday: Weekly Unemployment Claims

An interesting post on the stock market from Joshua Brown: The Most Important Difference Between 2007 and 2014



Of course, in 2007, it was clear the country was headed into recession and that house prices would decline much further. Now there is no recession in sight ... and in addition to corporate balance sheets being in much better shape (as Brown notes), household balance sheets are much stronger too.



Thursday:

• At 8:30 AM ET, the initial weekly unemployment claims report will be released. The consensus is for claims to decrease to 320 thousand from 326 thousand.



• Early, the Trulia Price Rent Monitors for March. This is the index from Trulia that uses asking house prices adjusted both for the mix of homes listed for sale and for seasonal factors.



• At 2:00 PM, the Monthly Treasury Budget Statement for March.



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China SRB stockpiling rumours resurface as rare earths prices stall

Industry observers warn that new project viability is at risk as market fails to recover



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Fierce competition to keep fertiliser mineral prices low

Belarus maintains 0% export duty on potash; phosphate buyers stock up on cheap material



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Seller’s market continues for US frac sand

PacWest expects prices to continue rising over the next three years



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Advice for Presenters and Attendees of Procurement Webinars by Kelly Barner

In a recent post on her Remarkable Leader blog, Roz Usheroff wrote about the importance of being likeable and effective as a virtual speaker. In addition to being a popular and cost effective means of reaching an audience, webinars are convenient ways of capturing content that can be made available on an ongoing basis to continue to spark discussion and gain traction.

Since February 2011, I have covered over 150 procurement and business webinars for Buyers Meeting Point. I have probably attended another hundred that I did not cover, for any number of reasons. That works out to an average of 1-2 webinars per week, every week, for three years. Beyond the fact that I am lucky to be alive after enduring something that few (if any) other people have subjected themselves to, I believe this experience uniquely qualifies me to give a little advice to the presenters and attendees of procurement webinars.

Presenters:

- Attendees understand that you are doing this as part of your marketing strategy. That being said, keep the straight promotional content to a minimum – 2 minutes max.

- Find yourself interesting while you are presenting. If you can’t be enthusiastic about a topic for 30 – 40 minutes, engage someone who can. Better yet, keep the energy level up by having two speakers alternate.

- Be realistic about what you can cover. If you say you are going to take questions, make sure you allow time for them. Don’t plan to present beyond the first 45 minutes of the hour time-frame. In the worst-case scenario, you wrap up 5 minutes early and we all get to use the bathroom before our next meetings – a gift for which we will be eternally grateful.

- PLEASE have your own seed questions ready in case the audience is shy. There is nothing worse (nothing!) than when there are no questions submitted and the moderator awkwardly explains that to the speaker and then concludes the event.

- Make sure that the webinar platform you are using works on PCs and MACs in the live event and on demand. If possible, play music before you start the presentation so we can figure out if our audio is working.

- Have a Twitter hashtag for the event and get your entire marketing staff to ‘live tweet’ interesting quotes. Better yet, get attendees to submit their questions and comments via Twitter using the hashtag.

Attendees:

- You will either get a copy of the presentation or you will not. Being the person who asks “Will we get a copy of the slides?” in a webinar is like being the person who yells “Get in the hole!” at a golf tournament. Enthusiasm notwithstanding, you are unlikely to change the outcome.

- Ask questions. The amount of information available to you for free, in the comfort of your own office, from amazing thought leaders is unbelievable. If you have signed up for an event, take a few minutes to prepare by looking up the speakers and take the opportunity to get more information.

- As a follow on tip, attend more events. Some organizations run regular webinar series and some tend to be more ad hoc about it. The more events you sign up for, the more information about future events you will receive. Sometimes you get really valuable freebies like analyst reports, which are well worth the 60 seconds required to register.

- If you register for an event, block the time in your calendar and show up. Based on the number and frequency of reminder emails I get, I can only imagine how much drop off there is between registration and attendance numbers.

I’d be interested in anyone else’s perspective on procurement webinars – from either side. You can share your thoughts by commenting below or via Twitter: @BuyersMeetPoint. As for me, I’ve already registered for my next two webinars. You can read all of my webinar notes under the Events menu on BuyersMeetingPoint.com

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The views expressed in this post and throughout the series are the autor's own and not intended to reflect the views the YQ Matrix platform, its users or any associated organisations.



For the procurement people among you, have a look at the latest YQ Matrix raw material and semi-finished prices. For: Prices on other websites.

Wal-Mart to Expand Wholesale Outlets in India

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS from NYT Business Day http://ift.tt/1hXmn2y

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The views expressed in this post and throughout the series are the autor's own and not intended to reflect the views the YQ Matrix platform, its users or any associated organisations.



For the procurement people among you, have a look at the latest YQ Matrix raw material and semi-finished prices. For: Prices on other websites.

Wal-Mart Plans 50 More India Wholesale Outlets e-Commerce Launch

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For the procurement people among you, have a look at the latest YQ Matrix raw material and semi-finished prices. For: Prices on other websites.

British Grocers Struggle as German Discounters Expand

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For the procurement people among you, have a look at the latest YQ Matrix raw material and semi-finished prices. For: Prices on other websites.

Antimony prices dip as buying activity stalls

Values slide towards production costs, which could result in capacity reduction



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ThomasNet.com: The Quiet Evolution of Dependable Certainty by Jon Hansen

Like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, there are some things you just take for granted without really giving it much conscious thought.

For those of us who have been in the purchasing industry for more years than we would care to admit, we can recall the days of frayed catalogs with paperclips and scribbled upon post it notes marking pages like the rings of a tree marks time. This was the world of a buyer when there was no Internet, and catalogs such as the Thomas Register were indispensable tools of our trade.

So what happened to Thomas Register, a buying guide listing industrial products and services that was first published in 1898?

With the same dependable certainty of day turning to night and night turning to day, the Thomas Register has become the quintessential web-based collaborative sourcing tool ThomasNet.com.

Joining me on Tuesday April 15th at 12:00 Noon ET will be Mark Holst-Knudsen, President of ThomasNet, and Tom Greco, Vice President, ThomasNet.com, to talk about this seemingly quiet evolution of a great idea and how the company is positioned to serve yet another generation of procurement professionals.

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For the procurement people among you, have a look at the latest YQ Matrix raw material and semi-finished prices. For: Prices on other websites.

Canpotex matches Uralkali on Indian potash contract price

The deal agreed by the North American trader mirrors the terms of the Uralkali agreement signed three days previously. It emphasises the efforts being made by potash producers to make their offers competitive to India following the chopping of its potash subsidy.



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Space Chips for the Common Man

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For the procurement people among you, have a look at the latest YQ Matrix raw material and semi-finished prices. For: Prices on other websites.

Price Briefing 28 March – 4 April

Bentonite climbs as potash falls, while fluorspar and graphite remain unchanged



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Western Banks Toughen Payment Options for Russia Steel Grain Trade

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The views expressed in this post and throughout the series are the autor's own and not intended to reflect the views the YQ Matrix platform, its users or any associated organisations.



For the procurement people among you, have a look at the latest YQ Matrix raw material and semi-finished prices. For: Prices on other websites.

China's COFCO to Pay $1.5 Billion for Stake in Noble's Agribusiness

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The views expressed in this post and throughout the series are the autor's own and not intended to reflect the views the YQ Matrix platform, its users or any associated organisations.



For the procurement people among you, have a look at the latest YQ Matrix raw material and semi-finished prices. For: Prices on other websites.

House Price Index, January 2014: Regional house prices charts 1, 2 and 3

These tables contain 4 tables and 3 charts to accompany the regional house price gap report, showing mean house price by region, type and country. Part of the House Price Index, January 2014 release.



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Regional house price gap highest in 2013

Latest data reveals regional differences in average house price despite recent steadying trend



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