October 7, 2020

DMI Makes Gains In September

The Dodge Momentum Index gained 3.7% in September, moving to 130.8. This was up from the revised August reading of 126.2. The commercial component of the index was up 3.9%. The institutional component was up 3.2%.

Describing the slow progress since the index reached a low in June, Dodge Data & Analytics stated, “The commercial side of the Momentum Index gained 7.4% in the third quarter led by a large number of warehouse projects entering planning as e-commerce retailers such as Amazon Inc. continue to push projects forward. Somewhat surprising is that office projects entering planning also posted a tepid gain despite concerns that office work is shifting to remote settings. The institutional component, however, lost ground in the third quarter; dropping 6.8%. Education projects have borne the brunt of this drop as state and local government revenues declined, creating the need for budget cuts across the country.”