The Burger Flipper Recovery
Here is a shocker for you. Are you sitting down? Some of you might not like what I am about to say, but it...
Good is Good but Bad is Better
Lately the market has been reacting to economic data releases with the outlook that good is good, but bad is better. Bad news has...
Into the Abyss: The Bernanke Fed
Late yesterday, the Federal Reserve released the minutes from their last policy-setting meeting. In the minutes, Bernanke & Co. all but guaranteed investors that...
Survival Stock
In seventh grade, my school had a program called “Survival” up in the woods of Western Massachusetts. It was for the whole grade. Not...
India: BRIC Broken
India, one of the much hyped BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) has seen its currency plunge in recent months. Over the last...
Will the Fed Hold its Fire?
Core inflation (chart 1) registered a year-over-year growth rate of 2.1% in the BLS report released today.
The reported rate of inflation is slightly above...
High Corn Prices Threaten Consumer Spending
Stockpiles of grains are dwindling across the globe as droughts take hold in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Bloomberg reports:
Combined inventories of corn, wheat,...
Higher Unemployment amid Slow Job Gains
Today’s employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated an increase of 163,000 jobs in July (chart 1). That’s the most jobs added...
Manufacturing Staggers
For the second month in a row manufacturers reported declines (chart 1) in overall business, as recorded by the Manufacturing ISM Report on Business for...
Not a Starbucks Issue
In a Wall Street Journal front page report, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz hit the nail on the head regarding corporate profits.
Coffee chain Starbucks last...