Columnist Brian Langenberg provides a current outlook update, key findings from a recent energy sector conference, and takes another look at education and employment.

Our last installment called out the likely headwinds from both the C.R.A.P. currencies (Canada, Russia, Australia and Latin America) and also weather impact. As companies start reporting in the coming weeks, expect first quarter results to be mildly impacted. This issue we take a closer look at China.

Global economic activity remains good -- noise about China slowing, notwithstanding -- and despite the ObamaCare debacle, non-Christmas-related consumer spending looks pretty good. Europe is still Europe and China continues to grow 7-8 percent -- even as the government seeks to clamp down on its own shadow banking system. And India remains a mess.

Global economic demand remains solid - even if you couldn't tell by recent third-quarter results and despite all efforts by U.S. politicians of both political parties. Let's go through what happened and what is coming.

Since our last appearance in this space we've attended the Paris Air Show and met with companies involved in oil production, hydraulic fracturing and wind turbine towers and components. As an investment analyst I am always seeking to help my clients anticipate change in order to manage risk and capture alpha (positive returns relative to market). But as a regular columnist for Power Transmission Engineering, I also seek insights that can help your organization do the same. Here is what we've found...

We have just returned from the Electrical Products Group Conference in Sarasota, Florida. This is our favorite venue because it allows us to speak with the CEOs of nearly 25 global industrial companies that include General Electric, United Technologies, Honeywell, ABB and Emerson, with combined revenue of perhaps $500 billion.

The S&P 500 has rallied six percent since our last review...here's analyst Brian Langenberg's take on what's next for the industrial economy.

Washington political dysfunction is not as bad as we feared. It is worse.

Brian K. Langenberg explains what's likely to happen in the economy over the coming months.

The glass is at least half-full—and there is no hole in the glass. While fiscal cliff disaster is a possibility, we’re thinking more fiscal pothole.