Friday, April 25, 2008

Recreation & Leisure industry review Q1-2008; RSM EquiCo Capital Markets

Key Trends

The recent economic slowdown has negatively impacted many industries, including recreation and leisure. U.S. economic growth was nearly flat during the last three months of 2007, according to the U.S. Commerce Dept. Also, consumer confidence sank to a five-year low in March as tight credit markets, rising prices and worsening job prospects deepened worries that the economy has fallen into recession. Several sectors of the $115 billion sports and recreational products industry have been affected by the slowdown in demand, particularly higher priced products like pleasure boats and RVs - not surprising in light of the squeezing of discretionary income. However, several sectors have been bright spots, including those tied to outdoor activities such as golfing and bicycling, as well as health and fitness. The following describes recent news and outlook in these three sectors. Read complete report.

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