In a word, the Automotive Aftermarket is “pleased” with its second-quarter results. We experienced our first normal winter weather in three years and the industry is benefiting. For the six companies that comprise the Hilco Parts Index (the Index), net sales were $69.8 billion for the twelve months ending with the second quarter of 2021.

In this article we take a look at the continued, historic rise in domestic steel prices, the reasons behind this phenomenon, and explore where the market is likely to go from here.

Sales momentum late in the first quarter carried over into the second. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate of sales (SAAR) for light-duty vehicles reached 18.5 million vehicles in April 2021, an all-time record for the month.

June 18, 2021 — For public companies reporting first quarter sales results, headline news for the Automotive Aftermarket has been overwhelmingly positive. For the six companies that comprise the Hilco Parts Index (the Index), net sales for the quarter were $66.5 billion for the the first quarter of 2021.

In this article we take a look at how factors including the current semiconductor chip manufacturing shortage and COVID-19 restrictions, requiring changes in auction practices, have impacted the Class 8 truck market. We also discuss steps lenders can take in the months ahead to ensure limited portfolio exposure when industry production ultimately catches up with demand.

In this article we look at how the pandemic has shaped demand and consumer purchase behavior in the home furnishings market, and provide our perspective on expected developments across the supply chain that are likely to impact the industry over the final two quarters of 2021.

In this article, we take a look at how pandemic-driven changes in consumer preferences and behavior are impacting demand across numerous forestry product markets and how an industry challenged by continued resource limitations is responding.

In this article we deliver a brief overview of the logistics associated with the import and export of containerized freight and provide our observations on the current state of the intermodal chassis market one year after freight traffic reached its lowest level of the ongoing pandemic.

In this first in a series of upcoming articles on the electric vehicle (EV) market, we take a look at plans by global auto manufacturers for continued, aggressive expansion of their electric offerings as well as the technologies that are competing for dominance in the market.