The surprisingly tight band that weekly on the road US diesel fuel prices have averaged between April 25, 2011 and the present, according to US Energy Information Administration data. Current prices of about $3.97 per gallon are in fact little changed over that three-year period, with prices that rose to that $4.09 level in late April 2011 (the peak after the recession) and which have been basically flat ever since. The low end of the range was seen in July 2012. While many may consider current prices high, the volatility has clearly diminished dramatically.

The rise in the dollar value of receivables that US companies are currently "factoring," or selling off at a discount to specialty financial firms, since 2007. Why the sharp increase? While there is no hard data, experts cite the pattern of large companies extending payment terms for suppliers to 90-120 days as a key "factor," as well as the still very hard time smaller companies have securing bank loans. All this is leading to many large companies increasingly lending money to key suppliers for working capital needs or investment opportunities in things like equipment, according to an article this week in the Wall Street Journal.