Continue reading Second Term for Bernanke? Writers Surveyed Back Fed Chief

Second Term for Bernanke? Writers Surveyed Back Fed Chief originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Federal Reserve said that Americans are $2 trillion dollars richer in the second quarter. Where did all this money come from?

You guessed it, the stock market. The value of U.S. stock holdings rose 21.6%

Other factors came into play. Home prices were up 1.8% and that added to your wealth. Americans are also paying off their debt. Household debt shrank by 1.7% in the second quarter.

Continue reading U.S. Federal Reserve says that Americans are $2 trillion dollars richer!

U.S. Federal Reserve says that Americans are $2 trillion dollars richer! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Fed finally announces bailout to help Main Street

Fed finally announces bailout to help Main Street originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Martin Wolf: Wall Street and Main Street are streets that meet

Martin Wolf: Wall Street and Main Street are streets that meet originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MOST NOTEWORTHY:

• Suntrust initiated shares of Blackboard (NASDAQ:BBBB) with a Neutral rating, as they sees risk to 2008 Street estimates due to minimal margin expansion.
  
• Deutsche Bank started shares of Ruth's Chris Steak House (NASDAQ:RUTH) with a Hold rating, as they find it difficult to recommend a high-end dining chain in this economic environment.
• The firm also initiated Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ:TXRH) with a Buy rating and $15 target, citing the company's solid balance sheet, consistent operating history and low valuation.
  
• Piper expects shares of China Digital (NYSE:STV) will move higher as investors recognize the growth potential of the conditional access card market in China. The firm started shares off with a Buy rating and $43 target.
  
• Morgan Keegan resumed coverage of Main Street (NASDAQ:MAIN) with an Outperform rating and sees fair value range $15.50 to $17.00 based on MAIN's current yield of 9.2%.

• Societe Generale initiated Centrica PLC (CPYYY) with a Sell rating.
  
• Conceptus (NASDAQ:CPTS) was initiated with a Buy rating and $27 target at Oppenheimer.
  
• JP Morgan resumed coverage of Eastman Kodak (NASDAQ:EK) with an Underweight rating, and Infinera (INASDAQ:INFN) and Starent Networks (NASDAQ:STAR) with Overweight ratings.
  

Analyst initiations: BBBB, RUTH, TXRH, STV and MAIN originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

More than ever, Wall Street cares about you. Not you personally but average folks who don't have multi-billion dollar bonuses, pay obscene rents to live in a refrigerator-box sized apartments or have to write essays to get their children admitted to nursery schools that are more selective than some universities.

Believe it or not, you with your 2.5 kids, house in the suburbs and job with your annoying boss are very much on the minds on Wall Street heading into the third quarter. Your pessimism about the economy perplexes pundits and politicians who continually argue that the economy is strong. A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that 35% of Americans rate the economy as excellent or good.

So who's right, Wall Street or Main Street?

So far, it depends on the neighborhood where the consumer lives. Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST), whose customers tend to be well-heeled, today reported fiscal fourth quarter results that while not great, beat Wall Street's expectations. Meanwhile, Petsmart Inc. (NASDAQ: PETM) shares are tanking after the pet supply retailer cut its third quarter and 2007 profit forecast, citing weak consumer spending. So, consumers are confident enough to buy huge bags of pet food but worried about buying regular sized bags of Alpo.

Continue reading The theme for this earnings season is consumer confidence

The theme for this earnings season is consumer confidence originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Lunch at O'Brien's Irish Restaurant & Pub: six bucks (drinks not included) -- oh my! In Santa Monica, with Wilshire Boulevard rents yet -- unbelievable!

Sarah Gilbert and I have been finding little bits of information here and there (Economic indicators coming from more unlikely places) that support the notion the slowing economy is being felt by the "little guy" first, as usual. Small business owners see it first because they have very flat enterprises. (Venice Beach as a leading economic indicator) Owner and staff and that's it. Sometimes just themselves. Employees receiving a paycheck see it early and have the least options to adjust to change, and fixed income seniors -- they're totally stressed out.

Large companies have so many levels of management that by the time the guy at the top feels the pain (assuming he ever does) of the guy at the bottom he has already collected his bonus for his underperforming company. By the time the guy at the top responds to the needs of the guy on the bottom (assuming he ever does) the guy on the bottom has already figured out what he needs to do to survive and has helped himself.

Composing this post in my head walking back from lunch I wondered about how much attention we pay to Wall Street data each day, even though that data really comes to us second-hand from everywhere else.

Continue reading Forget Wall Street -- it's about the Main Street economy!

Forget Wall Street -- it's about the Main Street economy! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Aug 2006 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.