Dow Inc. Chair and CEO Jim Fitterling wasn’t buying the idea a few weeks ago that the economy is about to shift up a couple of gears: “I don’t think we’re in a restocking cycle yet,” he told analysts on Dow’s Q4 earnings call. “I think people are coming together around the soft landing.”

Other corners of the business world also have told us lately that things are becoming a bit quiescent. Recent economic data suggest we’re looking at a first-quarter GDP growth number much closer to 2% than the 3% of late last year. That’s still decent and Fitterling told analysts consumer demand remains resilient; Dow clients, he added, have been buying “to keep their supply chains moving.”

So is the first part of 2024 giving us a chance to take stock and (re)focus on blocking and tackling? To be more granular than grand? If you’re thinking that way, below are some stories from around Endeavor that might come in handy.

— Geert De Lombaerde