THE QUARTER IN BRIEF After an all-but-flat April and an abysmal May, the Dow managed to advance nicely in June. The blue chips pulled back 2.51% in a quarter filled with major news items – the European Union’s struggle to bail out banks and governments while trying to stave off a Greek exit from the euro, the Supreme Court approval of the bulk of the Affordable Care Act, the Facebook IPO, a drop in oil[…]

Marc Aarons @ Money Managers Inc. Presents:   QUARTERLY ECONOMIC UPDATE     QUOTE OF THE QUARTER   “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”  – John Lennon     QUARTERLY TIP   Remember that recent payment activity accounts for the bulk of most credit scores. An inactive card may actually […]

THE QUARTER IN BRIEF

PRICES RISE MOST IN TEN MONTHS Consumer prices were up 0.4% in February according to the Commerce Department, yet core inflation rose only 0.1%. A 6% jump in gasoline prices represented 80% of

A GAIN (OF SORTS) IN CONSUMER SPENDING The Commerce Department noted a 0.2% rise in personal spending in January along with a 0.3% rise in wages. However, real consumer spending was flat for the third consecutive month when adjusted for inflation. Headline personal spending rose 2.1% in Q4 2011. Many economists expect a comparable gain this quarter. In related news, the Bureau of Economic Analysis revised Q4 GDP north to 3.0% last week.1,2,3 DURABLE GOODS ORDERS,[…]

OIL APPROACHES $110 PER BARREL As NYMEX crude futures settled at $109.77 Friday, economists wondered how the U.S. consumer might cope if $5 gas became a reality. Spurred by supply concerns and heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, crude had its best week in three months: futures gained $6.17 (5.96%) across five trading days. Retail gas prices finished last week at $3.65 per gallon, a high unseen since last June.1,2 MORE HOMES MOVING ON THE MARKET Existing[…]

WEEKLY ECONOMIC UPDATE FEBRUARY 20, 2012

It may have been a frustrating year on Wall Street, but the fourth quarter of 2011 was a real turnaround from the third. However, the stock market still ended up having a subpar year, a performance that hopefully won’t be repeated in 2012. Here is a look at some of the big news items of the quarter, and at some of the improved economic indicators that investors noticed. The quarter in brief. The S&P 500[…]

THE MONTH IN BRIEF June was looking pretty bleak … but then economic indicators turned surprisingly positive and Greece passed austerity measures that could help it avoid default. The month concluded with a powerful Wall Street rally. Still, the S&P 500 lost 1.83% for June. Most of the month’s data substantiated that we were seeing a soft patch. While politicians butted heads over the debt ceiling, the real estate market flashed weakness and the commodities[…]

AN END IN SIGHT FOR FANNIE & FREDDIE CONSUMERS FEEL MORE UPBEAT GOLD ADVANCES, OIL PULLS BACK DJIA CLOSES AT HIGHEST MARK SINCE 6/16/08