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11 Jul 2008 Markets Decline on Record Oil and Continued Credit Woes

Posted at 15:34h in The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

Equity markets in the US continued the longest stretch of weekly losses for the S&P 500 Index in four years. Despite good news of a smaller trade deficit and better-than-expected jobs data, investors continued to worry about oil, credit, inflation, and consumer spending.

06 Jun 2008 Capitulation?

Posted at 15:39h in The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

The oil bulls stampeded last night and the herd is growing. Crude rose more than $8 per barrel on a Morgan Stanley report that Asia is taking an unprecedented share of Middle Eastern exports. The report said that oil could reach $150 per barrel within the month. Almost on cue, Nigerian workers threaten to strike if Chevron fails to meet its demands.

30 May 2008 Oil vs. Global Growth

Posted at 15:45h in The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

The broad US economy continues to find ways to grow despite mounting hurdles. Government reports this week of increases in GDP, exports, personal incomes, and new houses sold all defied economists’ estimates. Gains in some cases were significant, while others were increases on a declining scale.

16 May 2008 Taking the Good with the Bad

Posted at 16:05h in The Friday Brief by Sam Bass Jr.

With oil and gasoline prices raising to new highs daily it would be easy to paint a bleak picture for the future, particularly if energy was a large part of your expenses. Industries such as airlines, parcel delivery, and small businesses where transportation figures largely, are in a vise-like squeeze without signs of relief.