Does the old stock market cliché have any credibility in 2012? An old stock market dictum says that spring is for profit-taking, or at least a time to reduce your exposure to equities. In the classic market psychology, you “sell in May and go away” with the belief that stock prices will plateau or retreat [...]
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Economic Update for May 14, 2012
CONSUMER SENTIMENT HITS A 4-YEAR PEAK May’s initial Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey came in with an index reading of 77.8, the highest mark since January 2008. The current economic conditions sub-index rose to 87.3 from last month’s final 82.9 reading. Descending oil and gas prices may have been factors promoting some optimism.1 [...]
SELL IN MAY … GO AWAY?
Does the old stock market cliché have any credibility in 2012? An old stock market dictum says that spring is for profit-taking, or at least a time to reduce your exposure to equities. In the classic market psychology, you “sell in May and go away” with the belief that stock prices will plateau or retreat [...]
Economic Update for May 7, 2012
UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN TO 8.1% The jobless rate dipped 0.1% in April, but Wall Street didn’t exactly cheer about it as just 115,000 non-farm jobs were added to the economy. Economists polled by Briefing.com thought payrolls would expand by 162,000. The Dow fell 168 points Friday on the news. On the bright side, job gains across [...]
MONTHLY ECONOMIC UPDATE, May 2012
THE MONTH IN BRIEF The Dow gained 0.01% in April – a month in which the impressive bull run of the first quarter moderated and more pessimism crept onto Wall Street. Some domestic indicators were tepid – but others did provide nice surprises. Signals out of Europe flashed hints (or confirmations) of recession. Some key [...]
Economic Update for April 30, 2012
Q1 GDP: +2.2% The federal government’s initial estimate disappointed many analysts, even with plenty of potential for upward revision later. After all, Q4 2011 had brought growth of 3.0%. Economists polled by Briefing.com expected the Q1 estimate to come in at +2.5%. Personal spending rose by 2.9% for the quarter, with car sales playing the [...]
Economic Update for April 23, 2012
WHAT HELD UP HOMEBUYING LAST MONTH? The National Association of Realtors said existing home sales fell 2.6% for March. A 1.3% drop in inventory for the month might have been a factor, and mild weather in January and February may have helped homes that would have sold in March sell earlier. Warmer January and February [...]