Recovery! Finally! Yes! But how long will it last? Perhaps only until next January, if politics intervenes.

As a rule of thumb, forecasts tend to err on the side of optimism. When a consensus forecast is flat, warning flags should go up.

The great thing about forecasts is that if you stick to your guns long enough, they come true.

For the first time in four years, the supply of new construction equipment is catching up with demand.

The Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Ill., is predicting that total construction, after adjusting for inflation, will decline 2% next year, but all the decline will come from a weaker housing market.