Some headlines........like I said previously, the economic indicators are mixed. Wal Mart, a major retailer, is in trouble, consumer confidence is down, bus. inventories grew less than expected but then sales were up, oil dropped but is hanging out at a key support, etc.
What has many economists worried is the twin negatives of high oil prices and budget deficits fueling inflation. That's why this economy has me worried.
**********************************************
Wal-Mart stock and morale battered, woes pile up
reuters.com
Crude Prices slip, stay above $48
businessweek.com
Consumer Confidence Slides in May
By Jeff Miller Posted: 5/13/2005 10:52 AM
(Rapaport...May 13, 2005) Consumers in the United States, polled by the monthly University of Michigan sentiment index, said their confidence dropped in May, despite Wall Street predictions of a confidence surge.
April's index slid to 87.7, the lowest reading since September 2003. But May's index fell to 85.3, the fifth consecutive monthly decline.
diamonds.net
Business Inventories Rose 0.4 Percent in March
Rising inventories can signal either growing business confidence about future demand or an unexpected sales drop that causes unsold stocks to pile up.
Business inventories are also a component of gross domestic product. The smaller-than-expected March inventory rise may prompt economists to reassess their estimates for first-quarter U.S. growth.
nytimes.com |
