08 Aug 2003

Posted at 16:20h in The Friday Brief by
Yesterday, the Labor Department reported that productivity grew more than twice as fast in the second quarter than in the previous three months as the economy accelerated.  The increase of 5.7% was considerably over analysts’ estimates of 4.1% and the fastest since the third quarter of last year. 

25 Jul 2003

Posted at 16:23h in The Friday Brief by
As we begin the 34th day of this hot, hot summer, corporate earnings and government reports are heating up as well.  In the prior couple of months stock prices have run up in anticipation of both, defying the normal seasonal pattern of sluggish equity returns. 

18 Jul 2003

Posted at 16:35h in The Friday Brief by
The earnings reporting season is in full swing now with a quarter of S&P 500 companies reporting this week.  The results were quite good on balance as numerous companies soundly beat analysts’ estimates.  Those companies beating analysts’ estimates span a broad range of industries.  They include Caterpillar, SanDisk, Boise Cascade, Georgia-Pacific, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, USA Truck, Marriott Int’l, Coca Cola, Ford, Johnson & Johnson, Stryker, New YorkTimes, and BB&T.  The list of companies surprising negatively is much shorter.  But it includes some notables like Kraft Foods, Fannie Mae, FleetBoston, Hershey Foods, Sears, and Microsoft.  

27 Jun 2003

Posted at 16:39h in The Friday Brief by
On Wednesday the Federal Reserve policymakers did something they rarely do.  They cut rates even while suggesting the economy is improving.  Furthermore, they suggested they do not plan to tighten policy (raise rates) to preempt a potential burst of growth.  The Fed cut the benchmarkU.S.interest rate to a 45-year low of 1% to boost economic growth and prevent further slowing of inflation.  Their statements and actions suggest that rates will remain low, even fall further, for an extended period of time.  Basic economics suggests that as businesses and investors begin to accept that low interest rates are here to stay, they will begin investing in longer term and riskier projects to create economic growth.  But we know the major problem facing investors and business leaders today is a lack of confidence.  The latest cut is an attempt by the Fed to show that they are willing to do what is necessary to reinvigorate economic growth.