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THE MARKETS:  Volatility remains the watchword on Wall Street.  At least this week the volatility was the kind people like:  positive volatility.  The Dow was up 3.57% (down 13.33% for the year) and the S & P 500 was up 1.71% (down 14.14% for the year).     
CITIBANK BEATS EXPECTATIONS:  Citigroup lost $2.5 billion and still beat analysts’ expectations.  […]

BEAR MARKETS:  Credit and money supply concerns, plus resurgent oil prices seemed to be the drivers behind further negative movement in the equity markets on Friday.  The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded below 11,000 for the first time since August 2006 but finished at 11,100. The S&P 500 finished the day in bear territory, as well.  There was much reporting […]

THE MARKETS:  June has been a negative month for the equity markets.  For the month, the S&P 500 is down 8.7% and the Russell 2000 is down 6.19%.  For the quarter, the S&P 500 is down 3.35% and the Russell 2000 is up 1.84%.  The Dow Jones AIG Commodity Index is up 9.59% for the […]

NOT MUCH MOVEMENT LAST WEEK:  The markets did not move much:  The Dow was up 0.80% and the S & P 500 was down 0.05%.

NEXT INTEREST RATE MOVEMENT WILL BE UP?:  The Fed’s increased public anti-inflation discussion has led to market expectations of one or more rate hikes by the year end. The Fed funds futures market is […]

EQUITY MARKETS HAVE A POOR WEEK:  Some modest positive news early in the weak was drowned out by rising oil futures prices and a radical jump in unemployment numbers.  The Dow Jones Industrials were down 3.39% and the S & P 500 was down 2.83%. 

REITS BOUNCING BACK:  Real estate investment trusts (”REITs”) outperformed other major market benchmarks during […]

For the week the Dow lost -2.39%, the S&P 500 -1.81%, Nasdaq -1.27%, and the Russell 2000 -0.78%. Markets around the world also offered poor weekly returns with the one key exception in Russia which soared +9%.GROWTH:  The US economy grew by +0.6% (in size) during the 1st quarter 2008 (i.e., quarter-over-quarter change expressed as an […]

INTEREST RATE CUTS - IN PERSPECTIVE:  When the last recession in the US ended on 11/30/01, the Fed had short-term interest rates at 2.0%.  The Fed has interest rates at 2.25% today.

A POSITIVE MONTH?:  Following the prior week’s rally that saw 4% (approximately) gains across the board, the market had another positive week as earnings season continued […]

 
GOOD NEWS ON AGING: Two research reports published in the April edition of the American Sociological Review conclude that the happiest Americans are the oldest.  Among the findings:  Older Americans have learned to be content with what they have.  They are more socially networked.  75% of people age 57 to 85 engage in one or more social […]

STRUGGLING ECONOMY:  Clearly, we are in a poor situation.  Almost all data that came out last week was negative, and the markets responded in kind.  The job numbers were negative.  Construction spending fell by -1.7%, mostly due to a drop in residential construction. Consumer credit grew by $6.9 billion. Factory orders dropped -2.5% in January.

JOB […]

As we head into the third month of the year and what seems like the third year of this year’s presidential election, I hope you are well and that you are weathering the choppy economic environment as well as all of life’s other challenges.
LAST WEEK’S MARKETS:  The markets advanced for the first four days of the […]