Investors were left empty handed before the Thanksgiving Holiday; the Euro drama theme dominated financial markets last week as ongoing debt woes stemming from overseas overshadowed a host of positive economic data releases on the home front, including a surprise to the upside in durable goods orders. We anticipate for the spotlight to remain fixated on the Euro zone this week as well, while the super committee gridlock in Washington D.C. is the other critical roadblock holding back the bulls from reclaiming Wall Street.
With the holidays quickly approaching, the retail sector of the U.S. economy is gearing up for a short stretch that could make or break profitability forecasts and the mid-term outlook for companies that have exhibited surprising strength over the past 12 months. Retailers are already preparing for blow-out sales, Black Friday mania, and the oncoming [...]
After a record-setting October gave investors hope that 2011 would finish on a strong note, the first couple weeks of November have effectively taken any wind out of those sails. The culprit–surprise, surprise–has been the cash-strapped PIIGS economies of Europe, with Italy now grabbing the spotlight as a serious credit risk and a grave threat [...]
Thus far, this week has been quite sour for investors, as markets have been reacting poorly to data from all around the world. With the dollar trending back and forth, commodities have taken a major hit as oil prices have been smothered as of late, falling all the way down below $97 per barrel. On [...]
So much for a nice, quiet Thanksgiving week. Between the back-and-forth negotiations surrounding a bailout of Ireland and yet another escalation of tensions between North and South Korea, recent sessions have featured no shortage of action. Now investors turn their attention to the U.S. consumer, preparing to analyze spending habits during the make-it-or-break-it shopping season.
One of the biggest stories of the first half of the year (in the financial world at least) broke early last week, when Beijing announced that it would allow the Chinese currency increased flexibility against the U.S. dollar. The renminbi wasted little time, quickly reaching an exchange rate of 6.79 per greenback, setting a new [...]
For much of the last several months the attention of U.S. investors has been directed across the Atlantic, where various austerity plans, debt auctions, and credit downgrades have dominated the financial headlines and given direction to global equity markets. While the fiscal health of Europe has gradually deteriorated, several positive data releases over the last [...]
After sinking early in the week, equity markets finished on a high note with the Dow closing just below 11,000. Commodities have been in focus in recent trading, as oil sank for the week while gold soared as Greece’s credit rating was lowered to BBB-. In other news, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner visited Beijing in [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
