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Strategies & Market Trends : The Epic American Credit and Bond Bubble Laboratory -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Paul Kern who wrote (81690)	5/11/2007 8:37:09 AM
From: Paul Kern	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110194

DATA SNAP: US Apr Retail Sales Below Expectations Last update: 5/11/2007 8:30:01 AM ===================================================== US Retail Sales Apr Mar ! Consensus: ! Overall: -0.2% +1.0%r ! +0.4% ! Ex-Autos: Unch% +1.1%r ! Actual: ! ! -0.2% ! ===================================================== By Jeff Bater Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--U.S. retail sales unexpectedly fell in April, signaling weakness in the economy at the start of the second quarter. Retail sales decreased 0.2% last month, after rising an upwardly revised 1.0% in March, the Commerce Department said Friday. Originally, March sales were seen 0.7% higher. The 0.2% decline in overall retail sales during April was a surprise on Wall Street. A Dow Jones Newswires survey of 24 economists had forecast a 0.4% increase. The retail sales report illustrates where Americans are spending their money. Consumer spending is a big part of the economy. It makes up about 70% of gross domestic product, which is the scoreboard for the economy. Friday's surprising sales data came out a day after retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) had said its total U.S. same-store sales fell 3.5% in April. The Commerce report showed automobile and parts sales fell 1.0% in April. March sales increased 0.4%. Sales of all retailers except auto and parts dealers were flat in April. Economists expected a 0.4% increase. Demand fell at retail outlets selling clothes and building materials, while it rose at furniture stores. Ex-auto sales in March had gone up 1.1%. April gasoline station sales increased 1.7% last month. Gas sales surged 3.2% in March. Stripping away sales at gas stations, demand at all other retailers fell 0.4% in April. And excluding both the auto and gasoline sectors, all other retail sales decreased 0.2% in April. Sales last month fell 2.3% at building materials and garden stores; 0.1% at eating and drinking places; 0.8% at sporting goods, hobby and book stores; 1.2% at general merchandise stores; and 2.0% at clothing stores. The drop in building materials sales was the sharpest since 5.1% in February 2003. Demand rose 1.2% at furniture retailers; 0.9% at health and personal care stores; 0.5% at food and beverage stores; 0.7% at electronic stores; and 1.8% at mail order and Internet retailers. -By Jeff Bater, Dow Jones Newswires; 202-862-9249; jeff.bater@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires May 11, 2007 08:30 ET (12:30 GMT)

To: Paul Kern who wrote (81690)	5/11/2007 9:02:33 AM
From: Les H	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110194

difficult to make a case for leaving them out of core when their price rises are now an established long-term trend. in any case, they should be using a long-term moving average of the price change for those two categories rather than leaving them out entirely if all they really wanted was to reduce volatility.

To: Paul Kern who wrote (81690)	5/11/2007 11:29:22 AM
From: John Vosilla	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110194

'So, if you don't eat, don't drive, don't heat, and don't cool, there is no inflation.' Need to find a cheap place like Deflationary Danville that has a mild climate with no need for heating or cooling that also has cheap all you can eat buffet's and you'll be all set<g>