SubscribeAll Posts Tagged With: "economic calender"
Wracked by Problems, the U.S. Economy Keeps Digging Its Way Out
Where to start? Market volatility is sure to continue for the indefinite future as investors, economists, analysts and politicos debate the merits of the federal government’s ongoing move – and try to make heads or tails out of the new financial landscape.
Mega-financials that offer everything (deposits, lending, brokerage services, deal underwriting, wealth management, mergers & acquisitions deals) appear to be the wave of the future (is beleaguered Citigroup Inc. (C) suddenly ahead of its time?).
Comparisons to past crises are emerging: The Great Depression, the savings & loan crisis, the junk bond collapse, Japan’s stock-and-real-estate implosion, and even Tulip Mania).
Many investors…
22Sep2008 | Money Morning | Comments Off | ContinuedContradictory Economic Reports Whipsaw Investor Expectations
No wonder this economy is so hard to figure out: The economic reports are as volatile as the economy itself.
Just when the dreaded “R” word seemed to be creeping back into the daily office chatter, a few economic reports last week seemed to reaffirm that the enhanced pessimism may be a tad bit early.
In the second quarter, gross domestic product (GDP) grew at a 3.3% pace, a significant upward revision from the 1.9% growth rate reported last month. While analysts were hoping that the summer tax rebates would provide more of a boost than initially posted, most were surprised by…
2Sep2008 | Money Morning | Comments Off | ContinuedSubprime Crisis Again in the Spotlight as the Meltdowns of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Fuel Fears of a Deeper Downturn
We’ve been warning you since the start that the subprime crisis would have some real staying power.
Indeed, every time optimistic prognosticators have predicted an end to this global financial debacle, we’ve had the same response: Don’t you believe it.
Again just recently, after several big banks announced yet another round of major write-offs – all of them related to the subprime crisis, albeit indirectly – analysts, and even some banking-industry executives, said the write-downs were coming to an end.
Once again, we advised readers to avoid losing their heads over such heady optimism. And again, we were right.
The latest victims of the…
14Jul2008 | Money Morning | Comments Off | ContinuedWith the Dow in Bearish Territory, and Oil Prices in the Stratosphere, New Potential Problems Abound
With the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 20% from its October peak – placing it firmly in bear-market territory after what’s so far been its worst June since the Great Depression – neither institutional traders nor individual investors seem able to find anything positive about the economy, corporate climate or financial markets.
The subprime-mortgage mess and the ensuing credit crisis continues to exact a toll on the financial-services sector, meaning we can be certain those write-downs won’t be ending anytime soon. Oil prices can’t seem to find a ceiling as new records are again being set – regardless of whether you…
30Jun2008 | Money Morning | Comments Off | ContinuedTalks About Inflation and Interest Rates Will be on the Front Burner This Week as Economic Speculation Resumes
You can bet there will be a lot of discussion about interest rates this week, thanks to the release of the producer price index (PPI) report tomorrow (Tuesday) and the U.S. Federal Reserve meeting minutes on Wednesday.
The PPI report will undoubtedly rekindle the inflation-versus-recession debate (with more than a few comments about stagflation thrown in for good measure).
While the wholesale inflation gauge (PPI) provides another look into how escalating food and energy prices are impacting the economy, the most recent moves in oil and gas may not be factored in for another month or two.
On an optimistic note, gasoline prices historically peak around…
19May2008 | Money Morning | Comments Off | ContinuedWill This Week’s Retail Reports Help Investors Decode the Mystery of the U.S. Economy?
The U.S. retail sector will be in the spotlight this week, as investors continue their efforts to gauge the health of the U.S. economy.
Such key retailers as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), Macy’s Inc., JP Penney Co. Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch Co., and Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) all are scheduled to report quarterly earnings. Then there’s the April retail-sales data, which will give economists and investors alike a good look at the mindset of the U.S. consumer.
After all, consumer activity accounts for as much as 70% of the U.S. economy’s growth. With the retail-sales numbers, however, keep in mind that the steeply escalating…
12May2008 | Money Morning | Comments Off | ContinuedFirst Step or False Signal? Could Last Week’s Surge in Stocks Signal a Rebound Ahead?
It’s earnings season again. But with an odd twist.
You see, most investors realized that earnings season would be dismal; so when the results came in (pretty much) as expected, many investors seemed to find that the news (especially among financials) was not worse and went on a buying spree.
By watching the trading “tape,” you almost could “hear” what investors were thinking:
- JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) announces a 50% decline in first-quarter profits, and says markets will remain weak through the rest of this year and perhaps into next: No problem. As bad as the results were, they were actually better…
Loading ...
