http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/wgids/ en-us Wed, 4 Jun 2008 12:53:53 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2025780/posts U.S. stock futures are pulling off their lows as an employment reading shows that the private sector added jobs last month. The ADP National Employment Report arriving Wednesday shows that the private sector added 40,000 jobs in May, rather than declined by 60,000 as economists had been expecting, according to Dow Jones Newswires. Dow Jones industrial average futures are down 20, or 0.16 percent, at 12,384, off their earlier lows. AP via Yahoo! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2025780/posts#comment Wed, 4 Jun 2008 12:53:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022916/posts WASHINGTON - The economy plodded ahead at a 0.9 percent pace in the first quarter — slightly better than first estimated — but still underscoring caution on the part of consumers and businesses walloped by housing, credit and financial problems. The new reading on gross domestic product, released by the Commerce Department on Thursday, was an improvement from the government’s initial growth estimate for the January-to-March quarter as well as the economy’s performance in the final quarter of last year. Both periods were pegged at a 0.6 percent growth rate. Gross domestic product, or GDP, measures the value of all... MSNBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022916/posts#comment Thu, 29 May 2008 13:02:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021942/posts Sales of new homes rose in April for the first time in six months although the unexpected increase still left activity near the lowest level in 17 years. ADVERTISEMENT The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that sales of new homes rose 3.3 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 526,000 units. But the government revised March activity lower to show an even bigger drop of 11 percent to an annual rate of 509,000, which was the weakest pace for sales since April 1991. Economists believe that new home sales will remain weak for some time as the housing... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021942/posts#comment Tue, 27 May 2008 16:16:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017288/posts ASSOCIATED PRESS - Construction of new homes posted the biggest increase in more than two years in April. While it was a rare bit of good news for the housing market, analysts said it's far too soon to declare an end to the extensive slump. The Commerce Department reported yesterday that housing construction rose by 8.2 percent in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.03 million units. Building of single-family homes continued to weaken, however. The growth came from a big jump in apartment construction. Analysts predicted the surprising rebound in April would be temporary given the headwinds... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017288/posts#comment Sat, 17 May 2008 11:31:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2016817/posts Initial construction of U.S. homes rose unexpectedly in April, according to a government report released Friday. Privately owned housing starts rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,032,000 in April, according to the Commerce Department. The rate was up 8.2% from March's revised reading of 954,000 but 30.6% lower than April of 2007. Economists were expecting housing starts to decline to 940,000, according to consensus estimates compiled by Briefing.com. Construction of new single-family homes, however, was at a rate of 692,000 in April, or 1.7% below March's number. That is the lowest reading of that measure since January 1991.... CNNMoney http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2016817/posts#comment Fri, 16 May 2008 12:46:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011942/posts Whatever happened to the Great Depression? Not the real one from 70 years ago, the lost decade of unimagined misery and Steinbeckian angst, the worst period in the history of modern capitalism. I mean the replay we were promised this year. The one we were told was the inevitable counterpart to the greatest financial crisis since a couple of medieval Italians first sat down on a Florentine bench and invented the word “bank”. I don’t know about you but I feel a bit cheated. There we all were, led to believe by so many commentators that the sub-prime crisis was... The Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011942/posts#comment Tue, 6 May 2008 14:52:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010561/posts WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economy showed off unexpected signs of resilience Friday as job losses slowed, the dollar gained a bit of muscle for a change and there were even indications that food prices may be easing. The unemployment rate dipped, though that may not last. The latest barometers flashed encouraging signs that the economic slowdown may not be as pronounced as some had feared. Still, there's much caution -- about housing, credit and other problems. "Economic or financial conditions could take an unexpected stumble at any time," warned Stephen Stanley, chief economist at RBS Greenwich Capital. Employers eliminated 20,000... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010561/posts#comment Sat, 3 May 2008 03:19:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010174/posts Employers trimmed a less-than-expected 20,000 jobs in April, marking the 4th straight month of losses; unemployment falls to 5%. CNNMoney http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010174/posts#comment Fri, 2 May 2008 12:35:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1943135/posts Consumers put aside worries about slumping home sales and soaring gasoline prices and headed to the malls last month, pushing spending up by the largest amount in 3½ years. The better-than-expected surge lessened fears of an imminent recession. The Commerce Department reported yesterday that consumer spending shot up 1.1 percent last month, nearly triple October's gain. It was the biggest one-month jump since a 1.2 percent rise in May 2004 and was significantly higher than the 0.7 percent gain analysts had expected. Incomes were also up last month, but the 0.4 percent increase was far below the rise in spending.... Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1943135/posts#comment Sat, 22 Dec 2007 08:45:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1942771/posts Stocks opened higher Friday following a better-than-expected rise in profits at Research in Motion Ltd. and on word that Merrill Lynch might have lined up a big cash infusion from a Singapore fund. Research in Motion said late Thursday its fiscal third-quarter profit more than doubled on strong demand for its BlackBerry smart phones. The results gave Wall Street hope that the technology sector has further to climb and that consumers and businesses are still spending. Biz.yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1942771/posts#comment Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:59:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1942349/posts Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez today released the following statement on the revised third quarter real gross domestic product (GDP) report, which showed that the American economy grew at 4.9 percent in the third quarter of 2007, the highest rate of GDP growth in four years: “In the face of real challenges, our resilient economy has now experienced six years of uninterrupted growth. As the holiday shopping season begins, I am pleased with today’s strong GDP report, coupled with the 1.68 million jobs added over the past year and low unemployment. President Bush’s pro-growth policies are moving our economy forward.... http://www.commerce.gov http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1942349/posts#comment Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:24:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1936091/posts Employers Boost Payrolls by 94,000; Jobless Rate Holds Steady at 4.7 Percent WASHINGTON (AP) -- Employers added a solid 94,000 jobs to their payrolls in November, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 percent and wages grew briskly, encouraging signs the nation's employment climate is holding up in the face of turbulence in the housing and credit markets. The fresh snapshot of the labor market, released by the Labor Department on Friday, showed that hiring was brisk in education and health services, retail, professional services, the government and elsewhere. That helped to offset job losses in construction, manufacturing and financial... Yahoo! Finance http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1936091/posts#comment Fri, 7 Dec 2007 14:12:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1932225/posts Economy Grew 4.9% in 3rd Quarter, Up From Previous Estimate of 3.9% By JEFF BATER November 29, 2007 9:06 a.m. WASHINGTON -- The U.S. economy soared last summer, growing at a rate much stronger than earlier estimated, but the earnings of companies were flat, the government reported Thursday. Gross domestic product rose at a 4.9% annual rate July through September, the fastest quarterly pace since 7.5% in third-quarter 2003, the Commerce Department said. The new, 4.9% estimate for third-quarter 2007 GDP reflected a revision up from a previously reported 3.9% increase. Higher inventories and exports were behind the government's revision... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1932225/posts#comment Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:32:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1931860/posts Wall Street Has 2nd Straight Rally on Rate Cut Hopes, Signs That Financials Are Finding Cash NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street barreled higher Wednesday for the second day in a row, propelling the Dow Jones industrials up more than 300 points after a Federal Reserve official hinted that the central bank may lower interest rates again. Investors' renewed hopes for a rate cut added to their relief that companies that made losing bets on subprime mortgages, such as Citigroup Inc. and Freddie Mac, are coming up with ways to raise cash. Early Wednesday, Fed Vice Chairman Donald Kohn told... AP?YodleWho! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1931860/posts#comment Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:14:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930661/posts Retailers cheer initial holiday sales Research group and Penney both say weekend results have started off strong. The nation's retailers had a robust start to the holiday shopping season, according to results announced Saturday by a national research group that tracks sales at retail outlets across the country. According to ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets, total sales rose 8.3 percent to about $10.3 billion on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving... http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/24/news/economy/bc.holidayshopping.ap/index.htm?postversion=2007112417 http://money.cnn.com/2007 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930661/posts#comment Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:48:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930492/posts China up over 4%, Japan up 2.4%. Pretty sure this was unexpected, looks like retail sales during the w/e were much higher than expected, up about 8%, with online purchases up 22%. Back to the Bull! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930492/posts#comment Mon, 26 Nov 2007 04:46:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930128/posts NEW YORK (AP) - The nation's retailers had a robust start to the holiday shopping season, according to results announced Saturday by a national research group that tracks sales at retail outlets across the country. According to ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets, total sales rose 8.3 percent to about $10.3 billion on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, compared with $9.5 billion on the same day a year ago. ShopperTrak had expected an increase of no more than 4 percent to 5 percent. "This is a really strong number. ... You can't have a... AP via MyWay http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1930128/posts#comment Sun, 25 Nov 2007 04:33:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925225/posts BENTONVILLE, Ark. - A year after its worst holiday sales season ever, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. may rebound to have a good season after finding the right mix of merchandise and marketing to complement its return to a focus on low prices. A whiff of this already showed up when the nation's largest retailer posted third-quarter earnings Tuesday of $2.86 billion, an 8 percent rise that beat Wall Street expectations. The company earned 70 cents per share, up from 62 cents per share in the same period a year ago. The 70 cents includes an after-tax gain equal to 1 cent... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925225/posts#comment Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:52:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1922233/posts WASHINGTON (AP) -- Worker productivity surged in the summer at the fastest pace in four years while wage pressures eased. The Labor Department reported that productivity -- the amount of output per hour of work -- jumped at an annual rate of 4.9 percent in the July-September quarter. That was double the 2.2 percent rise in the second quarter and represented the fastest surge in worker efficiency since 2003. At the same time, wage pressures eased with unit labor costs dropping at an annual rate of 0.2 percent, the best showing in more than a year. Both outcomes were far... Yahoo! Finance http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1922233/posts#comment Wed, 7 Nov 2007 14:52:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1919800/posts If things are so bad, why are they so good? With all the gloom coming out of Wall Street, the Democrats on the campaign trail and the mainstream media, a remarkable thing just happened: Real gross domestic product, the best summary report of the American economy, came in at a breathtaking 3.9% annual rate for the third quarter. In fact, following the 3.8% growth rate for the second quarter, the U.S. economy has posted its strongest quarterly growth in four years. The economy actually appears to be speeding up, following the relatively sluggish performance of the prior 18 months. On... IBD http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1919800/posts#comment Fri, 2 Nov 2007 00:41:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1918867/posts WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economy picked up speed in the summer, growing at a brisk 3.9 percent pace, the fastest in 1 1/2 years and an impressive performance even as a credit crunch plunged the housing market deeper into turmoil. The latest snapshot of the country's economic health, released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday, suggested that the economy is demonstrating much resilience and thus far holding up well to the strains in the housing and credit markets, which had intensified during the third quarter and rocked Wall Street. Individuals ratcheted up their spending. U.S. businesses sold more goods abroad... AP via Yahoo! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1918867/posts#comment Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:50:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1910252/posts WASHINGTON - Retail sales posted a stronger-than-expected gain in September as a big jump in auto sales helped offset weak demand for clothing. The Commerce Department reported Friday that retail sales increased 0.6 percent September, compared to August. That was double the gain that economists had been expecting and was also in contrast to reports Thursday of sluggish demand from the nation's leading retail chains. The government data did show weakness at department stores and specialty clothing shops, where unusually warm weather dampened demand for fall clothing. In other news, the Labor Department reported that wholesale prices jumped by 1.1... CNBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1910252/posts#comment Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:35:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907131/posts NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks advanced on Friday, sending the benchmark S&P 500 index (^SPX - News) to a record as a solid employment report rekindled optimism about the outlook for growth and profits. The prospect of continued strength in the economy boosted a broad range of equity sectors, including technology, basic materials, industrials, financials and consumer-oriented plays, such as retailers. Pharmaceutical shares also showed strength, with shares of Merck & Co (NYSE:MRK - News) among the top advancers in both the Dow and the S&P 500. "The unemployment report was a good report," said Stephen Carl, principal and head... Yahoo Finance News (Via Reuters) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907131/posts#comment Fri, 5 Oct 2007 18:38:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1906952/posts Jobs report shows September gains in line with forecasts, while earlier job loss wiped away; unemployment rate up to 4.7%. October 5 2007: 8:40 AM EDT NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Job growth was back on track in September, according to a government report that showed both a solid gain in Americans with jobs in the month, and revised away the job loss reported a month earlier. U.S. payrolls showed a net gain of 110,000 workers in the month, according to the Labor Department report. That's roughly in line with the forecast of a 100,000 gain by economists surveyed by Briefing.com.... Money.CNN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1906952/posts#comment Fri, 5 Oct 2007 12:52:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1903523/posts Consumer Spending Posts Better-Than-Expected Gain While Inflation Eases WASHINGTON (AP) -- Consumers shrugged off a rash of bad news to spend more than expected in August while a key measure of inflation eased to the slowest pace in 3 1/2 years. The Commerce Department reported Friday that consumer spending rose by 0.6 percent in August, the best showing in four months and better than the 0.4 percent increase that had been expected. Incomes rose by 0.3 percent last month, slightly lower than had been expected. A closely watched gauge of inflation was up just 1.8 percent in August, compared to... AP - Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1903523/posts#comment Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:50:01 GMT