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[Closing Bell: Markets Remain Muddled (C, GME, TM, POT)]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/12/closing-bell-markets-remain-muddled-c-gme-tm-pot/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/12/closing-bell-markets-remain-muddled-c-gme-tm-pot/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/12/closing-bell-markets-remain-muddled-c-gme-tm-pot/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Today was mixed on the economic front. Retail sales were actually positive rather than the expected drop of -0.2%. But then University of Michigan's Sentiment reading came out at 72.5, a reading about 2 points short of estimates. The January Business Inventories being flat in January had no real impact. The gap up this morning on the back of international markets came off and shares struggled between positive and negative territory all day. Yet one more day where the closing bell's direction was not known until the final minutes. Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,624.69 +12.85 (0.12%)
S&P 500 1,149.99 -0.25 (-0.02%)
Nasdaq 2,367.66 -0.80 (-0.03%)

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Continue reading Closing Bell: Markets Remain Muddled (C, GME, TM, POT)

Closing Bell: Markets Remain Muddled (C, GME, TM, POT) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>business inventoriespanditUniversity of Michigan Surveys of ConsumersvideogamesFri, 12 Mar 2010 16:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Consumer Sentiment Is Up, but Not Enough]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/24/consumer-sentiment-is-up-but-not-enough/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/24/consumer-sentiment-is-up-but-not-enough/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/12/24/consumer-sentiment-is-up-but-not-enough/#commentsFiled under:

Even with the pressure of the holiday season, consumers are feeling better this month. Consumer sentiment improved from November, thanks to growth in personal incomes and the possibility of a light at the end of the job market tunnel. The latest Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers report puts the December consumer sentiment index at 72.5, its highest level since September. In November, the index reached only 67.4 -- up substantially from 60.1 a year ago.

Nonetheless, the latest result didn't meet analysts' median expectation of 73.5 and came in under the preliminary figure of 73.4.

Continue reading Consumer Sentiment Is Up, but Not Enough

Consumer Sentiment Is Up, but Not Enough originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consumer sentimenteconomyinthenewsReuters University of Michigan Surveys of ConsumersRichard CurtinUniversity of Michigan Surveys of ConsumersThu, 24 Dec 2009 12:00:00 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[April consumer sentiment drops to 26-year low on high gas prices, job market concerns]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/11/april-consumer-sentiment-drops-to-26-year-low-on-high-gas-prices/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/11/april-consumer-sentiment-drops-to-26-year-low-on-high-gas-prices/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/11/april-consumer-sentiment-drops-to-26-year-low-on-high-gas-prices/#commentsFiled under: , ,

U.S. consumer confidence in early April 2008 plunged to its lowest level in 26 years, suggesting American adults are becoming more concerned about the near-term health of the U.S. economy as it slides into its first recession in six years.

The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers said its preliminary index of confidence fell to 63.2 in April 2008 from 69.5 in March 2008. It was the index's lowest reading since it fell to 62.0 in March 1982.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News had predicted that the April 2008 index would fall to 69.

Meanwhile, the index of consumer expectations for six months from now, which more closely projects the direction of consumer spending, fell to 53.4 in April 2008 from 60.1 in March 2008. It was the expectations index's lowest reading since November 1990, Reuters reported Friday.

'A really bad number'

Economist Peter Dawson, who did not participate in the survey, told BloggingStocks Friday there's no way to sugarcoat the latest consumer sentiment reading. "It's a really bad number. Just awful. Consumers are expressing serious concern about high gasoline, oil and food prices, the threat of job layoffs, and the general the state of the economy," Dawson said. "Given that consumer spending a represents about two-thirds of economic activity, it doesn't bode well for the economic recovery timetable."

With the above in mind, Dawson said those who expect a U.S. economic recovery to start as early as Q3 2008 "are at the extremely optimistic end of the recovery spectrum."

April consumer sentiment drops to 26-year low on high gas prices, job market concerns originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consumer sentimentCPIfeaturedfoodfood pricesgasoline pricesGDPinflationinthenewsjobsoilU.S. economyUniversity of Michigan Surveys of ConsumersFri, 11 Apr 2008 11:25:00 EST