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Politics : President Barack Obama -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RetiredNow who wrote (128455)	12/5/2012 12:16:56 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 149317

Japan's years of quantitative easing, forced financial repression, and Koo-nesian stimulus efforts are an altogether too accurate test-tube for the accelerated policies that Bernanke has engaged. No, it is not an accurate test tube. Japan refused to deal with several major problems facing their economy 20 years ago...........the weakness of their banking system and their refusal to do something about it, their low birth rate and their refusal to allow immigrants into the country. We are not Japan......not by a long shot.

To: RetiredNow who wrote (128455)	12/5/2012 12:36:14 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 149317

U.S. Is Becoming the Top Low Cost Energy Destination for Big Business By Matt Nesto When the biggest company in America is reported to be, for the first time in a generation, bringing some of its high-tech computer manufacturing back to plants on the home front from those in Asia, something has to be going on. At the very least, it merits further investigation into why Apple ( AAPL) suddenly decided to assemble iMacs in the U.S. For Jeff Saut, chief investment strategist at Raymond James, this new reality is not only part of what he expects will be a growing trend, but also an indirect endorsement for the country's cheap and reliable energy. "I think the real story is that the U.S. is likely going to be the low cost center of energy outside of the Middle East," Saut says in the attached video. "But who wants to build a plant there?" Related: Brent Crude Oil: The Only Energy Price That Matters Further supporting this on-shoring fad, Saut says, is the reality that oil prices are set to come down next year to around $65/barrel, as well as the benefit of historically low inflation and borrowing costs. The combined effect of all of this is leading to increased use of robotics and automation and he says "there's no incentive to build a plant in China, you don't need to go to the low cost labor provider." Instead he predicts businesses will look to build new plants ''where you have the lowest cost of energy, which is very likely going to be the U.S. over the next ten years, so I am all about the re-industrialization theme." Related: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Renewable Energy Is Key to U.S. Growth Because of this, the Florida-based strategist says Energy ( XLE) remains one of his favorite sectors with a more detailed interest in drillers ( OIH) as well as some of the limited partnership pipeline operators ( AMLP), while admitting he's a little cautious on the refiners right now due to the tight margins in the gasoline business ( UGA) finance.yahoo.com

To: RetiredNow who wrote (128455)	12/5/2012 12:41:26 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 149317

Dec. 5, 2012, 10:49 a.m. EST U.S. service sector accelerates in November Business climbs to fastest level since late winter, but hiring softer By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — U.S. service companies such as insurers and health-care providers grew at a somewhat faster pace in November, marking the 35th straight month of expansion. The Institute for Supply Management on Wednesday said its services index edged up to 54.7% last month from 54.2% in October. A number over 50 means more companies are expanding instead of shrinking. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected the ISM services index to drop to 53.0%. New orders and business activity both surged last month to push the overall index higher. New orders, a harbinger of future demand, jumped 3.3 points to 58.1% and business activity climbed 5.8 points to 61.2%. The reading for new orders was the highest since March and the business-activity index reached its biggest peak since February. Also, an index that measures the costs service companies pay for supplies fell sharply, down 8.6 points to 57.0%. “The majority of survey respondents reflect a cautious optimism about current economic conditions,” said Anthony Nieves, who’s in charge of the firm’s service-sector index. By contrast, manufacturers are not performing nearly as well. Earlier this week, the ISM said its manufacturing index fell back into negative territory for the fourth time in six months. The gauge retreated to 49.5% in November from 51.7% in the prior month. Yet like the manufacturing sector, service companies have grown more cautious about hiring. The employment gauge fell 3.3 points to 50.3%, the lowest level since mid-summer. The services side of the economy employs about four of every five U.S. workers. If they are more reluctant to hire, job growth is unlikely to accelerate much and sharply reduce the nation’s 7.9% unemployment rate. Of the 18 service sectors tracked by ISM, 11 reported growth. That’s down from 13 in October and 12 in September. Service companies are somewhat more insulated from ups and downs in the domestic or global economies because people need things like doctor’s visits or the advice of accounts even when times are bad. Six industries said growth fell in November, compared to five in October. Jeffry Bartash is a reporter for MarketWatch in Washington. marketwatch.com