US business activity remained stagnant in September, with the S&P Global Composite PMI Index reading 50.1, down from 50.2 a month earlier. The S&P manufacturing PMI inched upward, from 47.9 in August to 48.9 in September, but both numbers are below the 50 threshold separating contraction from growth. New orders for manufacturing and services were the lowest for the year and marked a second consecutive month of decline, while input costs increased for the second month.

Weyerhaeuser has tapped Carbon Direct to find buyers for an offering of 32,000 forest-carbon offsets now that it has gained approval to move ahead with the sale. The REIT is planning to allow trees to accumulate carbon across 50,000 acres of timberlands in the North Maine Woods, and it is working on two other carbon offset projects in the Southeast.

In 2024 and 2025, hundreds of humanoid robots from Agility Robotics are expected to embark on new roles around the US. Named Digit, the 5-foot-9-inch, 65-pound robots with gripper hands can carry 35 pounds and stay charged, without needing breaks, for 16 hours. Agility Robotics COO Aindrea Campbell called the 70,000-square-foot factory under construction in Salem, Ore., the world's first factory dedicated to humanoid worker production.

Waabi is using its test fleet of autonomous trucks to haul goods on Uber Freight's network along a route in Texas as part of a 10-year partnership between the companies. The goal is a driver-as-a-service model from Waabi.

Digital transformation for procurement makes it easier to anticipate, react to and minimize problems, but companies must realize it is a journey rather than a quick trip, Tobias Grabler of Topo Solutions writes. Grabler outlines areas of focus and potential stumbling blocks.

FTR's Trucking Conditions Index improved from -6.29 in June to -5.34 for July, which the analysis firm attributes to increased freight volume and use of capacity. "The overall truck freight market remains unfavorable for trucking companies, but the financial situation for smaller carriers in particular is tightening due to surging diesel prices," said FTR vice president of trucking Avery Vise in a release.

From subtle logo tweaks to total makeovers, rebranding can help businesses acquire customers, repair reputations or rise above a crowded market, entrepreneur John Rampton writes. Rampton explains when a small change is enough and when a complete transformation is warranted, as well as the importance of thorough research and strategic alignment.

Just 13% of people in Generation X feel that online ads represent them, even though the group has a collective $70 trillion in buying power and 92% are daily social media users, GroupM's Wavemaker found. Executive Zoe Bowen-Jones advises brands targeting the group to "think long-term, long-form and community-based content."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to sign a new climate legislation requiring businesses, including privately held companies, with at least $1 billion in revenue to start reporting on their carbon emissions. The California law could dramatically increase the number of US companies subject to climate reporting, and calls on firms to account for emissions by suppliers and customers, known as Scope 3 emissions, which are often difficult to calculate.

Projections and commentary from some Federal Reserve officials suggest that the so-called neutral rate may have risen, indicating that interest rates could remain higher for the long term. Five of 18 officials now believe the neutral rate is at least 3%, up from three officials who held that view in June. Meanwhile, other central banks around the world have also embraced a "higher for longer" philosophy.

The Conference Board's US Leading Economic Index fell by 0.4% in August, marking nearly a year and a half of consecutive declines. August's decline was primarily driven by weak levels of new orders, deteriorating consumer expectations, high interest rates and tight credit conditions. "All these factors suggest that going forward economic activity probably will decelerate and experience a brief but mild contraction," said Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, senior manager of business cycle indicators.

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