The electrical industry's near-term fortunes are influenced by trends in the wider economy. Here's where we gather some of the most relevant economic data pointing to the direction ahead, including industrial purchasing, housing and nonresidential construction, rig counts and a whole lot more.
While you can expect solid but not-spectacular 2018 growth in the overall electrical market, some regions of the U.S. and niches within nonresidential should beat the national numbers.
There are many ways of analyzing cooper prices and other markets, none of which would be considered to be an exact science, but various approaches can help to put things into perspective.
Electrical distributors, manufacturers and independent reps will need to learn how to maintain profitability in what will be a low-growth environment over the next few years.
