Mark Vitner
Mark Vitner
along badly business came economy economy-and-economics inventory numbers realizing result revised saw second slightly trade weaker weakness week wider zero
We're just now realizing how badly off the economy was in the second quarter, ... The wider trade gap, along with the weakness we saw in the business inventory numbers that came out this week and weaker construction spending, will probably result in a second-quarter revised GDP number that will be zero or even slightly negative. It will be an eye-opening number, but it's no more worrisome than what we've seen.
expect given weakest weakness
We expect to see weakness in the PPI given the weakness in manufacturing, which is the weakest part of the economy,
account bad decisions far growth income influence news percent personal recent salary since spending tend wage wages weakness
The recent weakness in wage and salary growth is bad news for retailers, since wages and salaries, which account for more than 56 percent of personal income, tend to influence spending decisions far more than other income sources.
abruptly afterwards ahead came chicago fed late month quite soon weakness
Back in late 2000 the Chicago PMI weakened a month ahead of the ISM survey. The weakness then also came quite unexpectedly and soon afterwards the Fed abruptly reversed course,
anywhere chicago follow near next report weakness
So even if tomorrow's ISM report does not show anywhere near the weakness the Chicago report does, we could still see some follow through in the next month's numbers.
earlier gas prices rise usual
I think we'll see gas prices rise earlier than usual and faster.
breathing fed gives interest room
It gives the Fed a little more breathing room on interest rates, that's the most I can say.
responding talk
I think they would be responding to all the talk of outsourcing and all the talk in the headlines.
august due numbers rest solid spending
I think spending will be pretty solid the rest of the year. The August numbers will be important due to back-to-school sales.
bonds boomers college interest money save start starting stocks
Just as when you save for kids' college, you don't want all your money in stocks two years before they start school. Now that the boomers are starting to retire, there's a lot more interest in bonds and longer-dated paper.
continues core fed finished further goods increases likely modest price prices production relatively series signs tops until
While core finished goods are still relatively tame, there are signs that price increases are accelerating further back in the production pipeline, ... Typically the Fed continues tightening until this series tops out. But with prices up only modestly, they will likely continue to make only modest adjustments.
bit close fear fed housing market maybe slowing takes today yesterday
Yesterday there was a little bit of a fear that maybe the housing market is not slowing down much and that the Fed has to do a little bit more, and today it takes some of that fear back out. They are really close to being done.
appreciation demand far less likely moving overall price saw supply
Overall supply and demand are moving into much better balance. With that, we're likely to see far less price appreciation than we saw in 2005.
accelerate annual below continue core exception fed few gradually interest means months next past percent policy pressures price pushing rate recent rose slightly three trends unlikely
Recent trends show the price pressures are well contained, with the exception of oil, ... The core CPI rose at just a 1.8 percent annual rate over the past three months, which is slightly below the 1.9 percent year-to-year gain. That means the core CPI is unlikely to accelerate in the next few months and allows the Fed to continue its policy of just gradually pushing up interest rates.