AIA not concerned by drop in billings.After three consecutive months of unexpectedly high scores, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI Abi (ā`bī) [short for Abijah], in the Bible, King Hezekiah's mother. (Application Binary Interface) A specification for a specific hardware platform combined with the operating system. ), a leading economic indicator leading economic indicator An economic or a financial variable that tends to move ahead of and in the same direction as general economic activity. Compare lagging economic indicator. See also index of leading economic indicators. of construction activity, dropped more than five points in February. The American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Organized in 1857, the Institute conducts various activities and programs to support the profession and enhance its public image, including periodically awarding the AIA (AIA) reported the February ABI rating was 52.5 (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings), compared to a score of 57.9 in January. With an approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending, this news should not weaken a forecast that remains favorable for the nonresidential construction market throughout 2007. "It's not surprising that the demand for architectural services has eased somewhat given the unusually high level of activity over the last three months," said AIA chief economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. "This is likely a reflection of a design and construction market stabilizing due to a return to seasonably sea·son·a·ble adj. 1. In keeping with the time or the season. See Usage Note at seasonal. 2. Occurring or performed at the proper time; timely. cold weather." Key February ABI highlights: Regional averages: Northeast (65.7), South (57.3), West (51.0), Midwest (50.8) ; Sector index breakdown: mixed practice (59.9), residential (55.6), institutional (53.5), commercial / industrial (51.8); Inquiries index: 61.9. Matthew A. Litfin, CFA (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986) Signed into law in 1986, the CFA was a significant step forward in criminalizing unauthorized access to computer systems and networks. The Act applies to "federal interest computers" that include any system used by the U.S. , principal equity research analyst at William Blair & Company added, "The latest Index dovetail with other macroeconomic trends observable in the United States currently. Solid expansion in architectural billings in February, at a cooler yet perhaps more sustainable growth rate Sustainable growth rate Maximum rate of growth a firm can sustain without increasing financial leverage. , mirrors recently reported statistics in employ-ment and gross domestic product. "This ABI number appears to corroborate a view that non-residential construction growth will expand demonstrably in 2007 and beyond." |
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