Barack Obama’s first year in office has, by most accounts, been a mixed bag. The massive $787 billion stimulus plan helped to avoid an even deeper recession, but failed to impact joblessness in any meaningful way. Instead of seeing a downturn in the unemployment rate as promised, Americans have seen the rate grow to double digits. Comprehensive healthcare reform was seemingly within days of becoming a reality, but now seems like a long shot. Outrage at Wall Street has ebbed and flowed, reaching a fever pitch in recent weeks following massive bonus payments in the financial sector. [click to continue…]
A critical five-week stretch for retailers has gotten off to a slow start, and news that November sales results missed analyst expectations have added further weight to an already sagging sector. Retail sales reports from the Black Friday weekend have done little to inspire confidence, and now many retailers are reporting that they came up short on analysts “muted expectations” for last month. [click to continue…]
The day after Thanksgiving traditionally kicks off the holiday shopping season, one of the most important times of the year for consumers and investors alike. While promotional campaigns and receipt tallies from “Black Friday” are always closely monitored, this year the day comes with added importance. As the U.S. economy heads towards the finish line [...]
In the latest sign that this recovery just might have some staying power, several major retailers reported strong earnings reports for the third quarter. But along with these pleasant surprises came warnings of tough times ahead, indicating that forecasts for the upcoming holiday remain murky. The major retail earnings announcements made so far this week [...]
Retail stores have been among the hardest hit by the recent global recession, but it appears that finally some relief may be in sight. For the first time in 13 months retail sales rose, finishing up 1.1% in September. More big-ticket sales, a later Labor Day, and poor 2008 September numbers all contributed to the [...]
