Dodge Momentum Index Climbs Further in January

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Climbs Further in January

NEW YORK – February 7, 2014 – The Dodge Momentum Index rose 3.0% in January compared to the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. January’s relatively strong gain brought the Momentum Index to 121.1 (2000=100), compared to a revised 117.6 in December 2013. Save for two minor dips in June and October of 2013, the Momentum Index has been on a steady climb for over a year. As the environment for new nonresidential development continues to improve, the planning pipeline of nonresidential building projects has grown more active.

The latest month’s increase for the Momentum Index was driven by strength for its commercial building segment, while plans for institutional building held steady with December. Commercial building plans gained 5.7%, largely the result of increased planning activity for office and hotel development. The largest commercial projects to enter the planning pipeline in January were a $275 million St. Regis Hotel in Napa CA, a $200 million Renaissance Hotel at LA Live in Los Angeles CA, and a $120 million mixed-use development in Mountain View CA. January’s stability for institutional building was aided by several large projects, including plans for further expansion of the San Ysidro Border Station in San Diego CA. 

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About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record  – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare®, and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Communications:
McGraw Hill Construction, 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Slips in August

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Dodge Momentum Index Slips in August
September 10, 2012 - New York, NY

The Dodge Momentum Index retreated 1.4% in August compared to July,  according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. The August Momentum Index came in at 96.8 (2000=100), down from July's revised 98.1. Despite the month's pullback, the index remains 21.4% ahead of its level a year earlier. The recent softening in the U.S. economy may be causing some deceleration in plans for future development.

This is particularly true for the commercial component of the index, which dropped 3.5% in August. By contrast, the institutional building segment of the Momentum Index inched up 1.0% over the month. Both components are well ahead of their year-earlier levels. In August, the institutional building segment was buoyed by two large projects entering the planning database: the $500 million MGM Resort Casino proposed for Springfield MA and the $200 million Milford Memorial Hospital proposed for Milford DE. On the commercial side, August saw the addition of Apple Computer's $250 million planned expansion of its Prineville OR office park.

# # #

About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction's data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Jumps Again in March

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Dodge Momentum Index Takes February Jump

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Dodge Momentum Index Takes February Jump

NEW YORK – March 6, 2013 – The Dodge Momentum Index rose 6.3% in February, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. February’s strong gain brought the index to 102.9 (2000=100), 23.4% higher than a year earlier. The increase was the third consecutive monthly gain and the first time the index has surpassed the 100 mark since 2010. In fact, the index is now at its highest level since April of 2010, suggesting that the recovery for nonresidential building may be finally gaining some traction.

February’s increase for the Momentum Index was due to an 11.9% surge in commercial projects; the institutional portion of the index remained mostly unchanged. The improvement in the commercial segment was driven primarily by robust gains for new office and store projects. Some of the larger commercial projects entering the planning phase in February included a $150 million General Motors Data Center in Milford MI, the $110 million Gateway Plaza office building in Richmond VA and the $90 million Tower Two Office Building at North Hills in Raleigh NC. The largest project by far to boost the commercial component of the index was a $400 million tenant improvement project to finish the American Dream Mall in New Jersey. The sprawling complex near the Meadowlands has sat dormant since 2009, but Governor Chris Christie is pushing its new owners to quickly resume construction. 

# # #

About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), a financial intelligence and education company, signed an agreement to sell its McGraw-Hill Education business to investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC in November 2012.  Following the sale closing, expected in early 2013, the Company will be renamed McGraw Hill Financial (subject to shareholder approval) and will be a powerhouse in benchmarks, content, and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. The Company's leading brands will include: Standard & Poor's, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, Crisil, J.D. Power and Associates, McGraw-Hill Construction, and Aviation Week.  The Company will have approximately 17,000 employees in more than 30 countries.  Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Makes Further Gains in September

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Dodge Momentum Index Makes Further Gains in September

NEW YORK –October 7, 2013 – The Dodge Momentum Index advanced 2.9% in September to 118.3 (2000=100) according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. After a brief pause in June 2013, the Momentum Index resumed its upward trend in the most recent three months. Since the end of 2012, the Momentum Index has risen an impressive 31%, and in September it reached its highest level since the first quarter of 2009. This acceleration suggests that, as of September, owners and developers viewed the environment for construction as improving.

Once again, the two main components of the Momentum Index diverged in September.  The demand for new commercial buildings rose dramatically over the month, boosted by recovering market fundamentals such as rents and occupancy rates. The commercial component of the Momentum Index jumped 8.5% in September thanks to increased plans for new office development. Among the larger commercial projects to enter the planning phase in September were a $150 million headquarters for Daimler in Portland OR, a $150 million, 53-story office tower in Chicago, and a $65 million office building for Public Service Electric and Gas Co in Newark NJ. The institutional segment of the Momentum Index retreated 2.5% in September, as a gain for healthcare projects was offset by a larger decline in plans for amusement and education buildings.

About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record  – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare®, and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Communications:
McGraw Hill Construction, 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Continues to Gain in January

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Continues to Gain in January

NEW YORK – February 6, 2013 – The Dodge Momentum Index rose 2.7% in January, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. The January increase for the Momentum Index marked its second monthly gain in a row, lifting it to 97.6 – the highest reading since mid-2010. This recent upturn follows a moderate decline for the Momentum Index that took place from August through November, when uncertainty related to the November 2012 elections and the looming fiscal cliff generally dampened investment. With the election results final and the fiscal cliff averted for the time being, plans for nonresidential building projects that may have been deferred are now moving ahead at a quicker pace.

January's increase for the Momentum Index relative to December was the result of stronger activity for both its commercial and institutional segments. The 3.1% gain for the institutional segment in January was driven by a surge in new hospital projects entering the planning pipeline. These included a $202 million second phase to the Advocate Christ Hospital Patient Tower in Illinois and an $80 million expansion at the Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania. The 2.3% gain for the commercial segment in January reflected an uptick in plans for new offices and stores. These included such projects as a new Chevron Office Complex in Texas and a mixed-use tower in San Francisco CA which entered planning.

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About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction's data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), a financial intelligence and education company, signed an agreement to sell its McGraw-Hill Education business to investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC in November 2012.  Following the sale closing, expected in early 2013, the Company will be renamed McGraw Hill Financial (subject to shareholder approval) and will be a powerhouse in benchmarks, content, and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. The Company's leading brands will include: Standard & Poor's, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, Crisil, J.D. Power and Associates, McGraw-Hill Construction, and Aviation Week.  The Company will have approximately 17,000 employees in more than 30 countries.  Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

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McGraw-Hill Construction Debuts the Dodge Momentum Index

Press Release

McGraw-Hill Construction Debuts the Dodge Momentum Index
The Dodge Momentum Index introduces a 12-month leading indicator for construction spending for nonresidential buildings

First-of-its-kind index points to stronger growth for nonresidential building in upcoming months, and continuing into 2013

May 17, 2012 - New York, NY

McGraw-Hill Construction (http://www.construction.com/) today launched the Dodge Momentum Index, a 12-month leading indicator of construction spending for nonresidential building.  Based on a 91% correlation between construction planning reports, as reported by Dodge, and the Commerce Department’s Put in Place spending over the past 10 years, the index is an early and accurate leading indicator of future construction spending.  It will prove useful to building product manufacturers, AEC firms, construction industry professionals, economists and Wall Street analysts. The index will be issued monthly.

The predictive accuracy of the index is derived from the source of data that feeds it: the proprietary Dodge database of first-issued construction planning reports. Dodge is the sole private provider of construction starts and project data analysis to the U.S. Census Bureau, supporting the federal government’s monthly estimate of construction spending, a key input for the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  One-third of projects in the Dodge database are in the planning stage-the projects that feed the new Dodge Momentum Index.

"The strength of the new Dodge Momentum Index is that it’s based on proprietary planning data from Dodge’s national network of reporters.  These are individual, real-life projects, many of which will become construction starts down the road and generate construction spending dollars," said Kate Cassino, VP Product Development for McGraw-Hill Construction. "We have the benefit of using our world-renowned Dodge project information to create a highly accurate index, rather than relying on survey-based data."

In designing the new Dodge Momentum Index, McGraw-Hill examined more than a decade of monthly planning data (from January 2002 to February 2012) which produced an exceptionally strong correlation of 91% with the Commerce Department’s nonresidential building construction put in place spending. Importantly, the analysis shows that changes in the Dodge nonresidential new planning data leads changes in Commerce spending put in place by twelve months.  

Since reaching bottom in July 2011 at a level of 77.1 (2000=100), the index has trended up in all but two months. In April 2012, the Dodge Momentum Index climbed 1.0 points from the previous month to reach a level of 94.7. According to Robert Murray, Vice President of Economic Affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction, "The relatively steady movement upward since the middle of last year suggests that construction spending put in place for nonresidential buildings should begin to move in a more consistently positive direction during the second half of 2012. This is good news for an industry that has been strongly hit by declines since the 2009 recession."

The strong relationship established between the Dodge Momentum Index and construction spending, with its full year of lead time, means that the index is likely to prove extremely valuable to construction industry professionals, as well as economists and Wall Street analysts. For McGraw-Hill Construction’s customers, the index serves as an excellent full year leading indicator of future construction spending and demand for construction products and services. For economists, it’s an accurate leading indicator of construction spending when assessing longer term outlooks and the health of the construction industry against the broader economy. For Wall Street analysts, the index provides directional information that acts as a variable to help underscore their predictive models, and health of the sector.

"The Dodge data provides daily opportunity for discovery and inspiration for new ideas and new offerings to help our customers plan ahead smartly and succeed," said Keith Fox, President, McGraw-Hill Construction. "The Dodge Momentum Index joins the ranks of Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare, our latest intelligence offerings that provide building product manufacturers and AEC professionals with trends, forecasts, competitive intelligence, and deep relationship building tools. The Dodge Momentum Index is also a new source of credible analysis for economists and analysts who need to measure markets."

Additional details are available for the overall commercial and institutional sectors, and the sub-sectors of office buildings, retail and warehouse buildings, and education buildings.

For more information, download the Dodge Momentum Index white paper http://construction.com/download/Dodge_Momentum_Index_WhitePaper.pdf

About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two public companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Indices, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

# # #
Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Rises in November

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Rises in November

NEW YORK –December 6, 2013 – The Dodge Momentum Index rose 2.8% in November compared to the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. November’s increase brought the Momentum Index to 117.9 (2000=100), as it regained upward movement after pausing in October. The latest month was the highest reading for the Momentum Index since March 2009, although the current level is still well below the peak readings back in 2007 (when the Momentum Index averaged 183). The November upturn in plans for new construction may be a sign that October’s uncertainty over the budget and debt ceiling impasse is now easing – at least until those issues are raised again in January and February.

The November increase in the Momentum Index was driven by gains for both its commercial and institutional components. On the commercial side, the increases were widespread by project type, with the largest boost coming from a sharp gain in retail development. New retail projects entering the pipeline in November included a $278 million retail and entertainment center in Philadelphia PA, a $100 million retail and condominium project in Alameda CA, and a $50 million retail and apartment development in Sterling VA. The increase in institutional plans was helped by a significant gain for education-related buildings, the largest of which were a $100 million Wilson Pacific Elementary and Middle School Campus in Seattle WA, an $84 million Science and Health Professions Building at Hunter College in New York NY, and a $61 million renovation/expansion to a high school in San Clemente CA. 

 # # #

About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record  – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare®, and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Communications:
McGraw Hill Construction, 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Shows Further Growth in April

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Shows Further Growth in April

NEW YORK – May 7, 2013 – The Dodge Momentum Index rose 5.2% in April from the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. After hesitating last fall, the Momentum Index is strengthening once again, as the uncertainty that restrained plans for new construction now appears to be easing. Gains have been reported for the Momentum Index in each of this year’s first four months, and since December 2012 the Momentum Index is up by 23%. The April increase brings the Momentum Index to 114.4, the highest level since mid-2009. The April advance for the Momentum Index was largely the result of a strong upturn by its commercial segment. New plans for commercial buildings rose 8.5% in April, buttressed by several retail projects. Among the larger retail developments to enter planning in April were a new $71 million outlet center in Niagara Falls NY and a $60 million shopping center in San Francisco CA.  New plans for a 347-room luxury hotel planned for the Mall of America in Bloomington MN gave the pipeline for commercial development a further boost. Meanwhile, the institutional segment in April showed only slight 1.2% gain, as a decline in plans for new healthcare buildings offset a gain for education-related development, including a new $120 million veterinary building and lab at Texas A&M University. 

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About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare, Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial, a financial intelligence company, is a leader in credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. Iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power & Associates, McGraw Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Communications,
McGraw Hill Construction, 212-904-4374, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Retreats in May

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Retreats in May

June 7, 2012 - New York, NY

The Dodge Momentum Index moderated in May, slipping 1.2% from April, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The Index is a measure of first-reported nonresidential building projects at the planning stage, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. The Index now resides at 93.6 (2000=100) compared to the prior month's 94.8. The May decrease follows a 1.0% gain in April when the Index hit its highest level since August 2010. The moderation in the May Index was in line with the increasingly unsettled economic environment and the recent downward revisions to both gross domestic product and employment. In recent months, the Index had been showing a gradual upward trend – after hitting bottom in July 2011 at 77.1, the Index had risen in all but two months through April.

May's softening was the result of a divergent pattern for the two major segments of the Dodge Momentum Index, as a 1.5% gain for institutional building was outweighed by a 4.0% decline for commercial building. The institutional building portion of the Index was aided by several large education projects that entered the planning pipeline last month including a $300 million renovation to New York Public Library's Fifth Avenue flagship building. Given current tight fiscal conditions within state and local governments, however, the recent trend for institutional building projects at the planning stage has been flat-to-down. The commercial building portion of the Index pulled back in May after showing gains in recent months. A decline in new planning projects for office construction was responsible, only partially offset by a greater volume of planning projects for stores and warehouses.

About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects, and products across the construction industry. For more than a century, it has remained North America's leading provider of project and product information, plans and specifications, and industry news, trends, and forecasts. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers in the global construction industry through Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record, GreenSource, and SNAP. To learn more, visit www.construction.com or follow @mhconstruction on Twitter.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two public companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Indices, Platts energy information services, and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

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Dodge Momentum Index Rebounds in December

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Rebounds in December

NEW YORK – January 8, 2013 – The Dodge Momentum Index rose 3.2% in December, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. The December gain brought the Momentum Index to 94.9 (2000=100), up from November’s revised 91.9. After showing a hesitant upward trend during the first seven month of 2012, the Momentum Index settled back from August through October, and then stabilized in November. This coincided with the economic and political uncertainty that dampened investment during that time. The December rebound for the Momentum Index brings it back close to the 95.4 reached in July, which was the highest reading reported during 2012. The latest month’s upturn may also be the initial sign that the uncertainty that restrained plans for construction is now easing, with the November 2012 elections now final and the fiscal cliff being averted for the time being.

December’s increase for the Momentum Index was due entirely to a pickup by its commercial building segment, which advanced an impressive 9.0% relative to November.  New plans for stores and office buildings were stronger in December, and several notable warehouse developments also bolstered the Index, including plans for two new Amazon distribution facilities in Dupont WA and Fort Worth TX. In contrast, the institutional building segment of the Momentum Index dropped 2.4% in December, weighed down by a reduction in the number of new hospitals entering the planning phase. The retreat for the institutional building segment is likely to continue for a while longer, given expected cutbacks in federal spending and state budget constraints.

# # #

About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record—create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two public companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Indices, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Pauses in June

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Pauses in June

NEW YORK –July 9, 2013— The Dodge Momentum Index receded in June from the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. After six consecutive monthly increases, the Momentum Index in June slipped 1.5% to 113.8, down from a revised reading of 115.5 for May. The June pause came after May produced the highest level for the Momentum Index since March 2009, and indicates that the rising trend for nonresidential building remains subject to the occasional setback. As shown by such market fundamentals as vacancy rates, the commercial building sector is getting healthier, but the improvement continues to occur at a gradual and hesitant pace.

The June Momentum Index revealed a mixed reading for its two major components, as a sharp increase in plans for institutional buildings offset a drop in commercial development. New plans for institutional buildings rose 6.5% in June, bolstered by several amusement-related projects. Among the larger amusement and leisure developments to enter planning in June were the $250 million Monarch Hotel and Casino in Black Hawk CO and a $200 million expansion of the Sacramento Convention Center in California. The largest institutional project overall to enter the planning phase in June was a $400 million casino project in Liberty NY. The developer of the casino has said that the site in upstate New York could be ready for construction soon if the necessary state and local approvals are expedited. Meanwhile, the commercial building segment in June fell back 8.5% compared to May. Declines in both office and retail-related development weighed on overall commercial building plans.

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About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business.  McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare® and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets.  To learn more, visit http://www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial, a financial intelligence company, is a leader in credit ratings, benchmarks, and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. Iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, McGraw Hill Construction, and Aviation Week. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Improves in July

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Improves in July
August 7, 2012 - New York, NY

The Dodge Momentum Index climbed 8.1% in July after retreating a revised 2.4% in June, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning. Combined, these projects have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. The Momentum Index for July came in at 98.8 (2000=100), up from June's revised level of 91.4. This month's improvement in the Momentum Index is consistent with last week's employment report, which showed a stronger than expected increase of 163,000 jobs. Although further increases in the index would be needed to suggest a true rebound in construction, this month's gain could be considered a first step in that direction.

Both the commercial and institutional components of the Dodge Momentum Index rose in July. The institutional building segment of the Momentum Index advanced 9.0% in July after a sharp 11.2% decline in June. An uptick in new planning projects for education buildings (+5.8%) aided the gain in institutional building, although two new hospitals (one in Connecticut and one in California) dominated the projects entering planning. The commercial building segment of the Momentum Index climbed 7.3% in June, even stronger than last month's revised 6.7% improvement. Commercial building was helped by a small 2.5% gain in new plans for office projects. One of the projects contributing to this increase was Apple's new plan for expansion of its Austin, TX campus.

 

About McGraw-Hill Construction:
McGraw-Hill Construction's data, analytics, and media businesses—Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record— create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge BuildShare and Dodge SpecShare. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
McGraw-Hill announced on September 12, 2011, its intention to separate into two companies: McGraw-Hill Financial, a leading provider of content and analytics to global financial markets, and McGraw-Hill Education, a leading education company focused on digital learning and education services worldwide. McGraw-Hill Financial's leading brands include Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates. With sales of $6.2 billion in 2011, the Corporation has approximately 23,000 employees across more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Marketing Communications,
McGraw-Hill Construction, +1 212-904-4376, kathy_malangone@mcgraw-hill.com

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Dodge Momentum Index Slips in October

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index Slips in October

NEW YORK –November 7, 2013 – The Dodge Momentum Index slipped 0.9% in October compared to the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. October’s decline brought the Momentum Index to 115.3 (2000=100), down from September’s 116.4, although still well above the reading of 90.8 registered at the end of last year. The latest month’s retreat may be just a brief departure from the broader trend, in this case the steady improvement shown by the Momentum Index from December 2012 through this September. At the same time, it may well be a sign of renewed caution on the part of developers, given the uncertainty about the political and economic environment stemming from the October government shutdown and the debt ceiling deliberations.

The October Momentum Index once again revealed divergent paths for its main parts – new plans for commercial buildings, the more cyclically sensitive of the two components, dropped 2.1% while institutional building plans held steady. On the commercial side, a large decline in plans for new offices and stores outweighed strong gains for new hotel development. New lodging projects entering the pipeline in October included the $50 million Dream boutique hotel in Dallas TX and a 250-room extended stay hotel in Florham Park NJ. The stability in institutional plans, meanwhile, was aided by a strong upturn for new healthcare projects, including $118 million for Hurricane Sandy repairs to the Bellevue Medical Center in New York NY and the $91 million Landmark Farm Colony Senior Housing Community in Staten Island NY.

 

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About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record  – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare®, and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Communications:
McGraw Hill Construction, 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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Dodge Momentum Index in December Rises Again

Press Release

Dodge Momentum Index in December Rises Again

NEW YORK – January 9, 2014 – The Dodge Momentum Index rose 1.2% in December compared to the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction, a division of McGraw Hill Financial. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. December’s increase brought the Momentum Index to 118.3 (2000=100), the highest reading since February 2009. Over the course of 2013, the Momentum Index showed steady improvement, with December up 32% compared to the same month a year ago. Despite the strong percentage growth during 2013, the Momentum Index remains significantly below its December 2007 pre-recession peak of 191.3.

The latest month’s increase for the Momentum Index was driven by both its commercial and institutional components. On the commercial side, the 1.5% gain was largely the result of greater planning activity for office and hotel development. Among the larger office projects to enter the planning pipeline in December were the $350 million Moffat Place Office Campus in Sunnyvale CA, the $300 million Boston Garden Office Tower in Boston MA, and the $95 million expansion of a Microsoft data center in Quincy WA. The 0.8% gain for the institutional component was due primarily to a pickup in plans for education-related buildings, the largest of which were a $120 million renovation/addition to the University of Michigan's School of Dentistry in Ann Arbor MI, a $100 million Nuclear Power Training Facility in Charleston SC, and a $90 million renovation to the University of Dearborn’s Engineering Laboratory in Dearborn MI.         

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 About McGraw Hill Construction:
McGraw Hill Construction provides essential data, news, insights, and intelligence to better inform construction professionals’ decisions and strengthen their market position. McGraw Hill Construction’s data, analytics, and media businesses – Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, and Engineering News-Record  – create opportunities for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, building product manufacturers, and distributors to strengthen their market position, size their markets, prioritize prospects, and target and build relationships that will win more business. McGraw Hill Construction serves more than one million customers through its trends and forecasts, industry news, and leading platform of construction data, benchmarks, and analytics, including Dodge MarketShare™, Dodge BuildShare®, and Dodge SpecShare®. Construction data is available for North American and global markets. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial:
McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI) is a leading financial intelligence company providing the global capital and commodity markets with independent benchmarks, credit ratings, portfolio and enterprise risk solutions, and analytics. The Company's iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power, and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 17,000 employees in 27 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

Media Contact:
Kathy Malangone, Senior Director, Communications:
McGraw Hill Construction, 212-904-4376, kathy.malangone@mhfi.com

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