BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Serious Money: Dubai Vaporizes $48 Trillion]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/28/serious-money-dubai-vaporizes-48-trillion/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/28/serious-money-dubai-vaporizes-48-trillion/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/28/serious-money-dubai-vaporizes-48-trillion/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Best wishes to all and, next to world peace among people, we should hope for the same among world markets.

I have let some time pass before commenting on a recent example of how fragile a world we live in. This past year through a time of greater economic danger, fear and volatility than most of us has experienced in a life time, many people cannot fathom how close we came to the edge of Hades.


Continue reading Serious Money: Dubai Vaporizes $48 Trillion

Serious Money: Dubai Vaporizes $48 Trillion originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>banking sectorBankingSectorburj dubaiBurjDubaidubai worldDubaiWorldeconmic valuationEconmicValuationeconomic crisiseconomic recoveryeconomic stimulusEconomicCrisisEconomicRecoveryEconomicStimulusGlobal Stock MarketsGlobalStockMarketsinthenewasserious moneySeriousMoneysheldon liberSheldonLiberMon, 28 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Is Citi preparing to repay TARP?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/10/is-citi-preparing-to-repay-tarp/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/10/is-citi-preparing-to-repay-tarp/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/10/is-citi-preparing-to-repay-tarp/#commentsFiled under: ,

Reports are surfacing that Citigroup (C) may be gearing up to pay back some for the $45 billion it received from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). According to CNBC, Citi is going to raise as much as $20 billion through a stock offering as part of these plans. The report notes that Citi's CEO Vikram Pandit has changes his travel plans so he can announce an equity offering today.

Furthermore, Citi chairman Dick Parsons indicated to CNBC that the bank "is in a position to repay the TARP money, but there is an active discussion we have to have with regulators." An earlier report hinted that Citi and government regulators disagreed over how much C should raise to taxpayers.

Continue reading Is Citi preparing to repay TARP?

Is Citi preparing to repay TARP? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cCitigroupeconomic crisisEconomicCrisisfeaturedTARPTARP repaymentTarpRepaymentThu, 10 Dec 2009 09:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Unemployment falls during November -- stocks to rally]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/04/unemployment-falls-during-november-stocks-to-rally/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/04/unemployment-falls-during-november-stocks-to-rally/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/04/unemployment-falls-during-november-stocks-to-rally/#commentsFiled under: ,

It looks like we may have a bit of a rally on this final trading day of the first week of December thanks to the nonfarm payroll report. During November, 11,000 jobs were shed, far fewer than the expected 100,000 and the fewest lost jobs since December 2007. And the unemployment rate dropped to 10%.

There is a word of caution, as some economists believe that November's payroll figures could appear better because of the way the government adjusts the data for seasonal factors. That's the only wet blanket I will throw on this news, as the "seasonal factor issue" does not impact the jobless rate.

Continue reading Unemployment falls during November -- stocks to rally

Unemployment falls during November -- stocks to rally originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economic crisisEconomicCrisisemploymentfeaturedjobsnonfarm payrollsNonfarmPayrollsunemploymentFri, 04 Dec 2009 09:17:00 EST<![CDATA[Dollar Tree posts strong third-quarter earnings]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/24/dollar-tree-posts-strong-third-quarter-earnings/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/24/dollar-tree-posts-strong-third-quarter-earnings/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/11/24/dollar-tree-posts-strong-third-quarter-earnings/#commentsFiled under:

Discount retailer Dollar Tree (DLTR), which sells everything for a dollar or less, reported third-quarter earnings Tuesday morning. The company earned 76 cents per share during the quarter, nearly 62% higher than last year's same-quarter earnings. Sales for the quarter increased by more than 12% to $1.25 billion from $1.11 billion in sales from last year.

Dollar Tree beat the Street's earnings expectation of 66 cents per share by a dime and topped and revenue expectations of $1.24 billion. "I am pleased with our third quarter performance," said CEO Bob Sasser in a statment. "Sales and earnings were above plan." Solid earnings from a company specializing in cheap prices during a recession -- is anyone really surprised?

Continue reading Dollar Tree posts strong third-quarter earnings

Dollar Tree posts strong third-quarter earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>discount retailersDiscountRetailersDLTRDollar TreeDollarTreeeconomic crisisEconomicCrisisinthenewsrecessionretailTue, 24 Nov 2009 09:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Are you ready for a 'slow and painful' recovery?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/13/are-you-ready-for-a-slow-and-painful-recovery/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/13/are-you-ready-for-a-slow-and-painful-recovery/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/13/are-you-ready-for-a-slow-and-painful-recovery/#commentsFiled under: , ,

On Monday, the National Association of Business Economics (NABE) announced that it believes the recession is over, but many of the economists it surveyed don't believe there will be a "meaningful improvement in jobs, credit or housing for months to come."

NABE asked a group of 43 top economists if they believe the U.S. economy has pulled out of the recession. Of those responding, 81% believe the recovery has started recovering, and 9% (four of those responding) thinking we are still in a recession. Four others were unsure.

Continue reading Are you ready for a 'slow and painful' recovery?

Are you ready for a 'slow and painful' recovery? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economic crisiseconomic downturneconomic recoveryEconomicCrisisEconomicDownturnEconomicRecoveryfeaturedNABENational Association of Business EconomicsNationalAssociationOfBusinessEconomicsTue, 13 Oct 2009 09:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Eight ways to define the recession]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/12/eight-ways-to-define-the-recession/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/12/eight-ways-to-define-the-recession/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/10/12/eight-ways-to-define-the-recession/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We've watched stock market numbers bounce around for two years. Unemployment stats have served as unpleasant reminders that, for some, leading indicators haven't translated to reality. We look for so many ways to understand the brutal economic environment with which we've had to contend, and all the choices can make your head spin. So, let's make it simple. Here are eight ways to tack a label onto the financial world in which we live.

1. Lost market value
Total stock market losses from October 2007's top to March 2009's bottom: $11.2 trillion
Total gains in the stock market since the bottom: $4.6 trillion
Lost ground: $6.6 trillion

2. Bad days
Percentage of the 10 worst days in history for the Dow Jones Industrial Average that happened in 2008, by point drops: 60%
Percentage of the 10 worst days in history for the DJIA that happened in 2008, by percentage drops: 30%

3. Mutual funds
Value of mutual fund assets at the end of 2007: $6.5 trillion
... and a year later: $3.7 million
Lost value: $2.8 trillion

But, it got a little better at the end of August 2009: $4.5 trillion (value of assets)

Continue reading Eight ways to define the recession

Eight ways to define the recession originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>djiadow jones industrial averageDowJonesIndustrialAverageeconomic crisisEconomicCrisisfinancial crisisFinancialCrisisgoldhome salesHomeSalesinthenewsmutual fundmutual fundsMutualFundMutualFundsrecessionretailretail salesRetailSalesstock marketStockMarketunemployedunemploymentunemployment rateUnemploymentRateMon, 12 Oct 2009 14:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Job cuts slow in August, more not-so-bad news]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/09/02/job-cuts-slow-in-august-more-not-so-bad-news/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/09/02/job-cuts-slow-in-august-more-not-so-bad-news/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/09/02/job-cuts-slow-in-august-more-not-so-bad-news/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Automatic Data Processing (ADP) employment report was released before the opening bell Wednesday morning, showing that the private sector lost 298,000 jobs during August. Expectations called for a loss of 255,000 jobs, but the loss was better than the revised 360,000 jobs lost during July.

A spokesperson for ADP noted a "gradual improvement in labor markets" because "monthly losses are diminishing." That said, the group did note that job losses are likely to continue for "several more months."

In addition to this news, Challenger Gray & Christmas reported that layoffs planned by major U.S. corporations fell 21% from July to August. The 76,456 layoffs in August were the second-lowest amount cut in 2009.

Continue reading Job cuts slow in August, more not-so-bad news

Job cuts slow in August, more not-so-bad news originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adpadp jobs dataAdpJobsDatachallenger gray christmasChallengerGrayChristmaseconomic crisiseconomic recoveryEconomicCrisisEconomicRecoveryfeaturedjob lossesJobLossesWed, 02 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sears reports a surprise loss; could be in for a long day]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/08/20/sears-reports-a-surprise-loss-could-be-in-for-a-long-day/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/08/20/sears-reports-a-surprise-loss-could-be-in-for-a-long-day/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/08/20/sears-reports-a-surprise-loss-could-be-in-for-a-long-day/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Slumping sales did in Sears Holdings (NASDAQ: SHLD) in the second quarter, as the company posted a surprise loss of 17 cents per share (excluding items). The Street expected the company to report earnings of 38 cents per share. Why the staggering disparity?

One reason is that comparable-store sales dropped 8.6% (12.5% at Sears stores and 3.9% at Kmart). Another reason is what the company called "significant items," which include costs associated with store closings and severance (32 cents per share), domestic pension plan expenses (22 cents per share), mark-to-market losses on Sears Canada hedge transactions (8 cents per share), and a positive impact of a reversal of a $62-million reserve (29 cents per share). The store closings include charges that related to the decision to close 28 underperforming stores.

Continue reading Sears reports a surprise loss; could be in for a long day

Sears reports a surprise loss; could be in for a long day originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economic crisisEconomicCrisisfeaturedkmartretailretail earningsRetailEarningssearssears holdingsSearsHoldingsshldThu, 20 Aug 2009 08:15:00 EST<![CDATA[John Deere reports quarterly earnings that top expectations]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/08/19/john-deere-reports-quarterly-earnings-that-top-expectations/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/08/19/john-deere-reports-quarterly-earnings-that-top-expectations/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/08/19/john-deere-reports-quarterly-earnings-that-top-expectations/#commentsFiled under: ,

Earlier this morning, Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) reported third-quarter earnings that dropped 27% as a result of falling sales during the past quarter. The farming equipment firm reported quarterly earnings of 99 cents per share, easily topping the consensus estimate of 57 cents per share.

While the results crushed the Street's estimate, it fell short of DE's year-ago performance. Quarterly revenue fell 24% compared to a year ago to $5.89 billion -- which again easily bested the consensus estimate for $5.25 billion.

Continue reading John Deere reports quarterly earnings that top expectations

John Deere reports quarterly earnings that top expectations originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dedeereearnings reportEarningsReporteconomic crisisEconomicCrisisfarm equipmentFarmEquipmentinthenewsquarterly earningsQuarterlyEarningsWed, 19 Aug 2009 09:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Old folks leaning on credit cards to get by]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/28/old-folks-leaning-on-credit-cards-to-get-by/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/28/old-folks-leaning-on-credit-cards-to-get-by/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/28/old-folks-leaning-on-credit-cards-to-get-by/#commentsFiled under: , ,

With all the focus on unemployment, the usual recession victims have been overlooked a bit. The over-65 crowd, living on fixed incomes, has seen portfolios decimated and those consistent dividends from blue chippers evaporate. At the same time, medical costs are headed in the other direction. Expenses up and income down, seniors have found only one solution: credit cards.

Low- and middle-income consumers who've reached or passed age 65 had $10,235 in credit card debt, on average, last year, up a disturbing 26% from 2005. Meanwhile, credit card debt climbed only 3% across all age groups - to $9,827. From the fourth quarter of last year to the first this year, total revolving debt fell a modest 2.3% to $939.6 billion.

Continue reading Old folks leaning on credit cards to get by

Old folks leaning on credit cards to get by originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economic crisisEconomicCrisiselderlyfinancialcrisisinthenewsrecessionsenior citizensenior citizensSeniorCitizenSeniorCitizensTue, 28 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Wall Street pay is higher than pre-crisis levels]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/23/wall-street-pay-is-higher-than-pre-crisis-levels/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/23/wall-street-pay-is-higher-than-pre-crisis-levels/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/23/wall-street-pay-is-higher-than-pre-crisis-levels/#commentsFiled under:

Who is ready for their morning dose of anger? That is what I thought this morning when I found out about the higher pay at some investment banks following the recent bailouts. Well, let me qualify that -- it isn't necessarily higher pay, but some execs will receive the same amount as they did before the bailouts. Some Wall Street firms, enjoying improving profits are on track to "pay employees as much as, or even more than, it did in the pre-crisis days." The top six U.S. banks have set aside $74 billion to pay employees, up from $60 billion last year, according to the Washington Post.

Continue reading Wall Street pay is higher than pre-crisis levels

Wall Street pay is higher than pre-crisis levels originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bankseconomic crisisEconomicCrisisexecutive payExecutivePayinthenewsPresident ObamaPresidentObamaThu, 23 Jul 2009 09:20:00 EST<![CDATA[AK Steel earnings preview]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/20/ak-steel-earnings-preview/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/20/ak-steel-earnings-preview/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/20/ak-steel-earnings-preview/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

AK Steel Earnings PreviewAK Steel Holding Corporation (NYSE: AKS) is due to report earnings tomorrow before the market opens, and the company is expected to post another quarterly loss.

The current recession has been tough on steel makers, and Ohio based AK Steel is no exception. The company has been forced to lower prices and lay off workers in the wake of slumping demand for its steel products.

Continue reading AK Steel earnings preview

AK Steel earnings preview originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AK SteelAKSAkSteelauto demandAutoDemandautomakersconsumer confidenceConsumerConfidenceDetroitearningsearnings previewEarningsPrevieweconomic crisisEconomicCrisisOhiorecessionsteelsteel makersSteelMakersMon, 20 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Consumer sentiment down, according to everyone]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/10/consumer-sentiment-down-according-to-everyone/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/10/consumer-sentiment-down-according-to-everyone/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/07/10/consumer-sentiment-down-according-to-everyone/#commentsFiled under: ,

There are two competing positions on consumer sentiment right now. One is that it turned south last week, as people worried about their jobs - always a bad sign for spending. The other is that consumer sentiment didn't crap out in July: it fizzled in May. So, it's not a question of whether consumers aren't confident in the U.S. economic machine, it's just a matter of when the collective mood changed.

The July camp is set up around the Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers, which makes now the weakest point for consumer sentiment since March. Those who favor May look to domestic demand for foreign goods, which went soft two months ago, bringing the monthly trade deficit to its narrowest since 1999. The U.S. trade gap unexpectedly tightened to $26 billion in May, with exports up 1.6% and imports down 0.6%, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Continue reading Consumer sentiment down, according to everyone

Consumer sentiment down, according to everyone originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>department of commerceDepartmentOfCommerceeconomic stimuluseconomiccrisiseconomicsEconomicStimuluseconomyfinancial crisisFinancialCrisisreutersuniversity of michiganuniversity of michigan surveys of consumersUniversityOfMichiganUniversityOfMichiganSurveysOfConsumersFri, 10 Jul 2009 17:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Banks putting pressure on UK retail sales]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/18/banks-putting-pressure-on-uk-retail-sales/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/18/banks-putting-pressure-on-uk-retail-sales/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/18/banks-putting-pressure-on-uk-retail-sales/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Retail sales took an unexpected downward turn in May in the United Kingdom -- for first time in three months. Cautious banks appear to be the problem, as their rationing of credit is impeding broader economic recovery. Retail sales fell 0.6% from the previous month, while economists had predicted a 0.3% change in the other direction.

Year-over-year, retail sales were off 1.6%. Sales for the year are down 1.1%, the greatest decline since score-keeping began in 1988. Of course, there's plenty of fodder for rationalizing the results. The annual change was affected by an "unusually large" retail sales estimate for May 2008. Clothing, textile, and footwear retailers and department stores led the plunge, with nonfood store sales off 1.4%, compared to a 0.3% increase in food retail sales.

Continue reading Banks putting pressure on UK retail sales

Banks putting pressure on UK retail sales originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bankseconomic recoveryeconomiccrisisEconomicRecoveryenglandfinancial crisisgreat britaininthenewslendingrecessionretailretail salesunited kingdomThu, 18 Jun 2009 14:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Mixed economic signs push oil prices lower]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/17/mixed-economic-signs-push-oil-prices-lower/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/17/mixed-economic-signs-push-oil-prices-lower/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/17/mixed-economic-signs-push-oil-prices-lower/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Oil prices have dropped a bit this morning, challenging support at the $70 level, due mainly to what some call "mixed signals" about the U.S. economy. The black gold has backed off as data pointed to the fact that the U.S. economy is still weak, even if it is emerging from the recession.

On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve announced that industrial production dropped more than expected during May, which has triggered the new weakness in the oil patch. Crude prices have also felt the sting of the market's early week weakness as the Dow Jones Industrial Average has backed off from its recent rally. In addition, the dollar has played an important part in crude prices. A weak dollar leads to higher oil prices as commodities are considered a safe-haven investment against a weak dollar.

Continue reading Mixed economic signs push oil prices lower

Mixed economic signs push oil prices lower originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crude oilCrudeOilDow JonesDowJoneseconomic crisisEconomicCrisisinthenewsoil inventoriesoil pricesOilInventoriesOilPricesWed, 17 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[International Monetary Fund warns of a double dip]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/15/international-monetary-fund-warns-of-a-double-dip/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/15/international-monetary-fund-warns-of-a-double-dip/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/15/international-monetary-fund-warns-of-a-double-dip/#commentsFiled under: ,

While most headlines in the financial media recently reported economists and institutions projecting the end of the recession in the second half of the year, the IMF said Monday the worst of crisis may be yet to come.

While those who think we are out of the woods believe this recession will have just one dip, the IMF seems to advocate what is known as a "double dip" recession. They believe that the expected upward swing in Gross Domestic Product for developed nations will just precede yet another economic collapse in the first half of next year.

Continue reading International Monetary Fund warns of a double dip

International Monetary Fund warns of a double dip originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double dipDoubleDipeconomic crisisEconomicCrisisGDPgross domestic productGrossDomesticProductinthenewsrecessionMon, 15 Jun 2009 09:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Video game sales drop again; recovery still far away]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/12/video-game-sales-drop-as-recovery-is-still-far-away/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/12/video-game-sales-drop-as-recovery-is-still-far-away/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/12/video-game-sales-drop-as-recovery-is-still-far-away/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

May marked the third-straight month that video game software sales dropped, a sign that the economic downturn continues to weigh on the gaming sector. NPD Group released its video game sales data yesterday afternoon, reflecting sales that fell to $448.9 million during May. These monthly results are 17% lower than the same period last year. The drop in software sales was somewhat expected, as the Street called for a drop between 15% and 20%. Hardware sales dropped 30% during May, totaling $302.5 million.

But the comparisons are difficult as major hits were released during spring 2008, including Grand Theft Auto IV, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. There were no such major hits released this year.

Continue reading Video game sales drop again; recovery still far away

Video game sales drop again; recovery still far away originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economic crisiseconomic downturnEconomicCrisisEconomicDownturnertsgaming sectorGamingSectorinthenewsluxury itemsLuxuryItemsmsftntdoysnevideo game salesvideo gamesVideoGamesVideoGameSalesFri, 12 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[More bank stress tests needed?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/09/more-stress-tests-needed/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/09/more-stress-tests-needed/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/06/09/more-stress-tests-needed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Congressional Oversight Panel announced in a report this morning that it feels more bank stress tests are needed, especially if unemployment rates continue to rise. The group believes that the stress tests should be repeated periodically as long as banks continue to hold toxic assets.

The panel used a risk-modeling approach that is described as "reasonable and conservative," but added that it is impossible for an outside party to mirror the loss projections that form the core of the stress tests. The group noted that the "more adverse scenario" assumption for the U.S. unemployment rate in the tests has nearly been met in 2009. The yearly average for the unemployment rate stands at 8.5%, which isn't far from the 8.9% assumed in the first round of stress tests. The group recommended that the "Treasury publicly track the status of its stress test macro-economic assumptions (unemployment, GDP, and housing prices) and repeat the stress test if the adverse scenario assumptions have been exceeded."

Continue reading More bank stress tests needed?

More bank stress tests needed? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bank stress testsBankStressTestseconomic crisisEconomicCrisisGDPhousing pricesHousingPricesinthenewsRupert MurdochRupertMurdochTARPtarp repaymentTarpRepaymentunemploymentTue, 09 Jun 2009 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[Gap's first-quarter earnings top expectations]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/05/22/gaps-first-quarter-earnings-top-expectations/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/05/22/gaps-first-quarter-earnings-top-expectations/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/05/22/gaps-first-quarter-earnings-top-expectations/#commentsFiled under: ,

Trendy retailer Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) announced Thursday that its first-quarter earnings declined compared to a year ago. The khaki king's earnings were pulled lower by poor sales due to the economic crisis. That said, the company's quarterly earnings topped the consensus estimate.

For the quarter, Gap earned 31 cents per share, down from 34 cents a year ago, but a penny better than analyst projections. Sales for the quarter dropped to $3.13 billion, matching the Street's expected $3.14 billion.

Continue reading Gap's first-quarter earnings top expectations

Gap's first-quarter earnings top expectations originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 22 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earningseconomic crisisEconomicCrisisgpsinthenewsretailretail salesRetailSalessame-store salesSame-storeSalesFri, 22 May 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Retail sales fall, will stocks?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/retail-sales-fall-will-stocks/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/retail-sales-fall-will-stocks/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/retail-sales-fall-will-stocks/#commentsFiled under: ,

Perhaps we were simply letting two months of gains cloud our thinking, or perhaps the situation was simply not as good as hoped. No matter what the reason, experts had believed that retail sales would increase by 0.2% in March. WRONG! Sales dropped to a seasonally adjusted 1.1% during March according to the Commerce Department.

The fall in consumer spending is more disappointing given the fact that the economy had shown some signs of life. Furthermore, first-quarter retail sales fell 1.2% from last year's fourth quarter sales, indicating that real consumer spending may have slipped again in the first quarter of 2009 following the 4% plunge in the last half of 2008.

Continue reading Retail sales fall, will stocks?

Retail sales fall, will stocks? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>economic crisisEconomicCrisisinthenewsrecessionretail salesRetailSalessale numbersSaleNumbersstruggling salesStrugglingSalesTue, 14 Apr 2009 09:50:00 EST