by Brad Houle, CFA Executive Vice President Ferguson Wellman, A leading Oregon financial firm For the week, the equity markets were higher by about 1.25 percent as investors absorbed Janet Yellen’s testimony to Congress and the stronger-than-expected economic data that was posted. Interest rates were higher with the 10-year U.S. […]

U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Israel Business Initiative today released a series of policy recommendations for the new Congress and administration aimed at strengthening the U.S.-Israel economic relationship. The policy recommendations outline a new […]

Ater Wynne LLP NW Law firm Federal legislators have renewed steps to repeal — or at least undermine — the prevailing wage requirements under the Davis-Bacon Act, which mandates payment of prevailing wages and benefits to workers employed under federally-funded or assisted contracts in excess of $2,000 for the construction, […]

Bullard Law, Portland law firm Longtime readers of The Bullard Edge (which is everyone, right?) will recall that we first addressed the marijuana law evolution in our fifth post, titled “When Mary Jane Brought a Pot Brownie to Work” (April 15, 2014).  Here is some of what we said in […]

By Oregon Employment Department, Per Capita Personal Income in Oregon’s Counties  In 2015, Oregon had a per capita personal income (PCPI) of $43,783. The PCPI ranked 29th in the United States and was 91 percent of the national average, $48,112, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In Oregon, […]

by Ralph Cole, CFA Executive Vice President of Research Ferguson Wellman, A leading Oregon financial firm The Week in Review February 10, 2017 – It was another solid week in the markets. The S&P 500 was up almost 1 percent to record highs. Interest rates were relatively quiet with the […]

National Retail Federation, The National Retail Federation released its economic forecast for 2017, projecting that retail industry sales, which exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants, will grow between 3.7 and 4.2 percent over 2016. Online and other non-store/online sales, which are included in the overall number, are expected to increase […]

Nearly One in Four Workers in Oregon is 55 or Older By Oregon Employment Department, Oregon’s workforce is aging. The number of Oregon jobs held by workers age 55 and over tripled from 1992 to 2015, while the total number of jobs grew by just 42 percent. Workers 55 and […]

Look Both Ways Before You Tax By Anthony K. Smith As of February 1, the Oregon Legislative Assembly is back in session. Among the most talked about issues for the Legislature to tackle will be the 2017-2019 state budget and funding a major transportation package. At the heart of both […]

Oregon Congressman Kurt Schrader, Press Release, Congressman Kurt Schrader (OR-5) released the following statement on the President’s Executive Order to Reduce Regulation and Control Regulatory Costs: “For years I’ve heard from schools, teachers, small business owners, farmers, workers and taxpayers in my district that there are too many rules and […]