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 Michigan’s largest public companies ‘encouraged’ by second-quarter rebound Michigan’s largest publicly traded companies have mounted a strong comeback since the COVID-19 pandemic sent them reeling last year. The latest corporate financial filings from the state’s biggest employers show their revenues in the second quarter (Q2) of this year rebounded to levels achieved in the same period in 2019 — before the coronavirus devastated the global economy. Combined, revenues for 30 of these firms dropped 40 percent last year — from $128 billion in Q2 2019 to $77 billion in Q2 2020 — then rose 60 percent to $123 billion this year. Many of the companies have demonstrated optimism that the recovery will continue by reinstating share buybacks, increasing dividends, paying down debt, and issuing improved financial outlooks for the remainder of the year. “We’re encouraged by the healthy sales pipelines and new wins we’re seeing across all of our businesses,” Peter Quigley, CEO of Troy-based staffing company Kelly Services, said in a statement. “Our reinstatement of a dividend for the quarter reflects the progress we’re making . . . and our confidence in the economic recovery.” On Kelly’s quarterly call with industry analysts, Quigley noted that “the temporary labor market is approaching pre-COVID levels, the unemployment crisis in the US has eased with three months of strong job growth, and demand for staffing and other workforce solutions continues to grow.” Michigan’s recovery mirrors the national picture: in Q2 2021, U.S. economic output surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time. Gabe Ehrlich, an economic forecaster at the University of Michigan, said the U.S. government’s $5.2 trillion fiscal response to the pandemic bolstered household incomes and helped fuel the recovery — but the comeback is not complete. “We have had a strong recovery so far. Big business has done well,” Ehrlich said. “That’s great news, but it’s not the whole picture. Small businesses have had a harder time during the pandemic and there is still a jobs shortfall.” The state’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.8 percent in July but, compared with February 2020, the labor force has shrunk by 213,000 people and 256,000 fewer Michigan residents are working, according to data from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some people who left the labor force during the pandemic won’t return to work, Ehrlich said, including individuals who retired earlier than they planned and women who quit to care for children and manage other family responsibilities. Meanwhile, some Michigan-based public companies are concerned that the recovery is susceptible to inflation, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the resurgence of COVID. The international microchip shortage is particularly concerning to the auto industry. Ford reported that its quarterly profits fell by half largely due to the shortage of computer chips, and GM CEO Mary Barra said the impact on production will likely extend into 2022. Production shutdowns cost Cooper Standard, a supplier based in Northville, $200 million in Q2. As consumer demand drives the economic recovery, supply chain issues will continue to create bottlenecks — and this disconnect between demand and supply is expected to cause moderately higher inflation, Ehrlich said. Economists are optimistic about blue collar employment, he added, noting that the construction sector is strong, logistics jobs are rebounding, and the warehousing and utilities sectors have surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Hiring for jobs requiring a college degree will be less robust than the blue-collar segment, he said, but better than the service sector. Bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues may continue to struggle as working-from-home and reduced business travel become the norm. “Due to COVID and how it’s changed the way we do business, (the hospitality sector) remains at risk,” said Ehrlich, who directs the U-M Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics (RSQE). Overall, forecasts suggest the U.S. economy won’t fully rebound until at least the end of 2023. “Closing that last-mile gap is going to take some time,” he said. The revenues of the 30 companies cited above show variations by industry sector:
Rounding out the list ( all results are Q2 revenues for 2019, 2020 and 2021):
While most of Michigan’s publicly traded companies are heartened by the comeback, they also are acutely aware that COVID remains a cloud on the economic horizon. “The most important thing from here,” Ehrlich said, “is what the pandemic is going to do. It’s still in the driver’s seat.” Evictions can resume across the country after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a temporary ban imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. "The key element of the new procedure is giving renters time to access resources, and we know that eligible applicants in 80% of counties statewide are receiving assistance within the 45-day time frame provided in the order," he said. "Moreover, where renters are at risk of eviction, especially in areas where processing times are slower, cases are being prioritized to get assistance faster. "This pioneering reform is saving lives and helping to resolve cases, getting landlords paid and keeping families safe in their homes," he added. An estimated 26,000 Michigan families have received more than $160 million in assistance, with more to come, Nevin noted. The U.S. Supreme Court’s late Thursday order from the conservative majority said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lacked the authority to re-impose the moratorium on Aug. 3 under federal law without congressional authorization. "It is undisputable that the public has a strong interest in combating the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant," the unsigned order reads. "But our system does not permit agencies to act unlawfully even in pursuit of desirable ends . . . It is up to Congress, not the CDC, to decide whether the public interest merits further action here." Justice Stephen Breyer writing for the three liberal justices who dissented, noted the increase in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant is one reason the court should leave the moratorium in place. "The public interest strongly favors respecting the CDC’s judgment at this moment, when over 90% of counties are experiencing high transmission rates," Breyer wrote. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during this afternoon’s daily press update that Biden would support congressional action, but to date there has been none. "Our objective is to keep as many people around the country in their homes as possible," she said. ". . . If there were enough votes to pass an eviction moratorium in Congress, it would have happened; it hasn’t happened." Secretaries for the U.S. Department of Treasury and Housing and Urban Development today called on all governors, mayors and state courts to "put in place their own moratorium" and to get Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds flowing to those tenants in need. Six states and the District of Columbia have implemented their own moratoriums. Matthew Paletz, a Troy-based attorney who specializes in representing landlords, believes the state Supreme Court’s grace period should be invalid in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision. "If the moratorium is no longer valid, then anything springing from that should, therefore, not be valid; that’s my opinion," he said. That said, Paletz noted that his Michigan landlords are not looking to immediately evict tenants as many have "consistently been diligently working with their tenants" to assist them, including helping to get them into the system to receive ERA help. Paletz said the issue has been recovering that back rent and restoring landlords’ constitutional right to control who occupies their private property. Paletz said the expected wave of evictions is not the real threat. Rather, he noted, the threat is the tenants who write off the mostly unsecured debt in bankruptcy proceedings. "The landlords will be left holding all that bad debt and that isn’t going to help anyone as far as trying to bring some stability to an already precarious affordable rental housing market," he noted. "That’s going to be a major problem for the landlord and the landlords are not going to make it."
Thanks to three separate federal packages which provided funding to deal with fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, Michigan’s public colleges and universities have obtained more than $1.7 billion to assist in areas such as direct student financial aid and with supplanting lost revenue. Estimates from a recent Senate Fiscal Agency report note that while the pandemic has created immense and unprecedented operational challenges for postsecondary education institutions, Congress has allotted a total of $76.2 billion in spending across three COVID relief bills to help mitigate those issues. Three of six COVID relief packages – the CARES Act, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan – specifically provided funds to postsecondary institutions, with roughly 40 to 45 percent of those funds being earmarked for student aid, scholarships, grants or distance learning, grants for students’ basic needs and more. Within the first shot of funding through the CARES Act, Michigan’s public universities and community colleges received a combined, estimated $289.2 million – $192 million for the universities, $97.1 million for the community colleges – which were provided directly to each institution from the U.S. Department of Education and were not subject to the state appropriations process. Under the second, given through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, Michigan’s public universities and community colleges received a combined total of $519.1 million. Divided up, that translates to $307.2 million for public universities and $221.9 million for the state’s public community colleges. Finally, under the American Rescue Plan – the money of which is not yet paid out in full – Michigan’s higher ed institutions are expecting to receive at least $897.5 million. Allocation tables for the 7.5 percent tranches of the rescue plan formula were not available as of the time the SFA published its memorandum. It is anticipated the state’s public universities will receive $537.2 million while its community colleges receive $360.3 million. In all, that allots $1 billion in federal COVID funding for Michigan’s public universities and $669.3 million for its community colleges. ARTICLES OF POLITICAL INTEREST: Supreme Court Blocks Biden Administration’s New Eviction Moratorium Debra Brinson says school health centers are prepared for another unprecedented year Commentary: Bury the power lines? California may hold lessons Metro Detroit employers seek solutions, offer perks, alter policies to combat burnout Marijuana News, Updates, & Articles of Interest THE DCD MARIJUANA TEAM: YOUR COMPETITIVE EDGE We are here to help you with: municipal lobbying, license application writing and assistance, business plans, state required operations manuals and compliance, facility design, corporate structure, and design and branding. We are experts in both medical and recreational cannabis policy and have been in the space for over ten years. We welcome any opportunity to work with you in the future! ARTICLES OF CANNABIS INTEREST: Cannabis businesses starting to use RICO lawsuits instead of being targets in such cases Prospects brighten for marijuana producers seeking insurance coverage 6 common marijuana cultivation techniques that are more myth than fact Michigan AG Nessel argues employees fired over private marijuana use should still be eligible for unemployment benefits Doing Things Differently DCD is rebranding, and our bottom line is your bottom line. We are striving to create and foster strong relationships with clients and lawmakers, deliver results with strong ethics and class, but above all else, out-hustle and out-smart our competition every day to be the very best. We’re making chess moves while others are playing checkers. Everything we do is with you in mind, we’re doing things we’ve never done before and aggressively pursuing opportunities. The time is now. DCD has taken our firm to the next level and your involvement and investment paired with our knowledge and expertise is going to launch the great state of Michigan forward. |
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Evictions Across the U.S. Can Resume
MI’s Colleges, U’s Slated To Receive $1.7B+ In Federal COVID Relief Funds
DCD continues to exist as the premier resource helping municipalities navigate the waters of cannabis policy. We would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding medical or recreational cannabis policy, procedure, and more. DCD is available for presentations to municipal boards, for one-on-one meetings, and for consultations.
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