Journal Article
Noteworthy: commercial real estate: recession takes toll, banks put at risk
Thies, Jackson (2009-10)
Texas' commercial real estate market steadily worsened as recession took hold in 2009. Commercial real estate's woes don't bode well for banks already struggling with losses from residential loans. The number of distressed properties--those in foreclosure, in bankruptcy or restructured--is rising.
Southwest Economy , Issue Q4 , Pages 15

Journal Article
Noteworthy: natural gas: glitches point to inflated output data
Thies, Jackson (2010-04)
Natural gas production and consumption data have been drifting apart. Production should equal consumption plus increases or decreases in storage, but sampling and estimation errors typically result in slight discrepancies. Seeing these gaps rise, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) implemented a new methodology with the release of February's production data that should ensure greater accuracy. Estimates for the prior 12 months were revised as well.
Southwest Economy , Issue Q2 , Pages 15

Journal Article
What drives diesel fuel prices?
Brown, Stephen P. A.; Thies, Jackson (2009)
Historically, gasoline has commanded a premium over diesel, but that changed in mid-to-late 2007, when diesel rose above gasoline. In 2007 and 2008, however, gasoline traded higher than diesel only 21.1 percent of the time. This deviation from historic norms raises an interesting question--what drives diesel prices? As with virtually all petroleum-derived products, the story begins with oil prices. Seasonal patterns also play a significant role. Demand for a range of oil-based products changes with the weather, and prices fluctuate as refiners adjust their output mix. Government regulations ...
Economic Letter , Volume 4

Journal Article
Sizing up nanoelectronics: gauging the potential for new productivity wave
Thies, Jackson; Swadley, Adam; Phillips, Keith R.; Yücel, Mine K. (2011-04)
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, in cooperation with the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), hosted a conference on nanoelectronics and the economy in Austin on Dec. 3, 2010. Economists and scientists explored how information technology has affected U.S. productivity and output growth and prospects for the future.
Southwest Economy , Issue Q2 , Pages 16-19

Journal Article
Noteworthy: hurricane season, venture capital, exports
Thies, Jackson; Renier, Jessica; Nicholson, Michael (2008-09)
Ike deals severe blow to Texas economy. Texas investment funding slips in 2nd quarter. Latin America, China lead Texas surge in overseas sales.
Southwest Economy , Issue Sep , Pages 5

Journal Article
Spotlight: Texas wind energy: tax breaks, transmission lines key to growth
Thies, Jackson (2009-07)
Texas became the nation's most prolific generator of wind power in the past decade, but the industry's future growth will depend on tax incentives to make it cost competitive and new transmission lines to get electricity to consumers.
Southwest Economy , Issue Q3 , Pages 15

Journal Article
Spotlight: upper East Texas in slump, region holds up better than U.S.
Thies, Jackson; Nicholson, Michael (2009-04)
As the U.S. and Texas slipped into recession last year, a balanced economy lessened the impact on upper East Texas. In March, the region's year-over-year nonfarm employment was down 0.4 percent, compared with the state's decline of 0.8 percent and the nation's 3.5 percent. Unemployment rates in the region's principal metros are near or below the state's 6.7 percent average.
Southwest Economy , Issue Q2 , Pages 7

Journal Article
Noteworthy: Gulf oil spill: Costs of well disaster still piling up
Thies, Jackson (2010-10)
British Petroleum's Macondo well blew out April 20 as the Deepwater Horizon platform sunk. By the time the well was capped on July 15, an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil had flowed into the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. government and BP are still assembling a definitive estimate of the flow; the final figure is likely to be a source of contention because it will be the basis for determining financial penalties.
Southwest Economy , Issue Q4 , Pages 14

Journal Article
Market expectations and corn prices: looking into future to explain present
Plante, Michael D.; Thies, Jackson (2012)
Market expectations of future supply and demand are important in determining current prices for agricultural products such as corn, which are harvested annually and stored for later use. Prices can quickly move when beliefs change?due to new data, for example?even if events far in the future are involved.
Economic Letter , Volume 7

Journal Article
Noteworthy: commercial building: Texas shows signs of weakening
Thies, Jackson (2009-01)
Texas commercial construction held up relatively well throughout 2008--in the broad view, at least.
Southwest Economy , Issue Q1 , Pages 15