Economic Outlook
August survey highlights:
* Overall index moved above growth neutral for a ninth straight month, pointing to solid growth ahead.
* Employment gauge remained in a healthy range.
* Inflation gauge moved into a range indicating modest inflationary pressures at the wholesale level.
* Overall index falls below growth neutral for Kansas and South Dakota.
* The export of important regional commodities traveling through the Port of Houston will be negatively impacted in the weeks and months ahead.
September Survey Results at a Glance:
* The overall index sank to its lowest level since December 2016,and remained below growth neutral.
* For the 46th straight month, average farmland prices declined across the 10 state region.
* For the 49th straight month, the agriculture equipment sales index fell below growth neutral.
* As a result of falling farm income, more than 51 percent of bank CEOs, reported restructuring farm loans, and approximately 18.6 percent indicated increasing collateral requirements.
* Bank CEOs reported only a 2.1 percent increase in farm loan defaults over the past year.
