GE has been in the news recently because of its clever use of tax loopholes.
Clever.
Current Affairs
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With Business Confidence High and a Teflon Market, What’s The Fed’s Next Move?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average kicked off a new quarter by touching the highest point since the summer of 2008.
A strengthening job market has private payrolls and business confidence surging … and layoffs waning.
Large corporations, which have been sitting on record troves of cash, could be poised to start hiring again. Fifty-two percent of top CEOs said they plan to increase hiring the next six months, according to the Business Roundtable's first-quarter survey. That's up from 45% in the fourth quarter and the highest in the survey's eight-year history.
Results like this imply that corporations are more optimistic and likely to expand.
Does That Mean the Fed Has Met Its Mandate?
* St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said “the economy is looking pretty good” and that the Fed should “see if we want to decide to finish the program or to stop a little bit short.”
Bullard added that “it may be reasonable to send a signal to markets that we’re going to start withdrawing our stimulus, and I’d start by pulling up a little bit short on the QE2 program … We can’t be as accommodative as we are today for too long, we’ll create a lot of inflation if we do that.”
* Dallas Fed President Richard Fisher went even further, telling a European audience that “We’ve done enough” and “we’re at risk of doing too much.” Fisher even went so far as to say the Fed’s dual mandate of controlling inflation and boosting employment should be changed. He wants the Fed to have no responsibility for employment, and to focus solely on inflation.
* Fed Chair Ben Bernanke has the potential to be even more market moving this month, at the April 26-27 Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Not only will this be the first meeting after these more hawkish remarks, but it will also be the first time the Fed holds a post-meeting press conference.
Yes, you read that right … Rather than hide behind prepackaged statements, Ben Bernanke will stand in front of the microphone and explain the Fed’s actions. He’s going to do that several times a year going forward — with this year’s briefings scheduled for April 27, June 22, and November 2.
If Bernanke shows any shift in policy, we could see some real market fireworks. Just something to watch for.
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Here Are Some Links That Caught My Eye This Week
Some weekend reading.First, you may have seen that Butler will be making another trip to the NCAA Championship game.Well, the Onion has it covered. Here is a link to their article: "Butler Bulldogs Inspire Thousands Of Tall, Goony-Looking Midwestern Dorks".Business Posts Moving the Markets that I Found Interesting This Week:
- Goldman Sachs Partners Selling Shares – What Does it Mean? (Dealbook)
- Wal-Mart CEO Bill Simon Expects Inflation. (USAToday)
- Gartner: Tablet Trend to Boost IT Spending by Billions. (AllThingsDigital)
- Meg Whitman joins VC Firm Kleiner Perkins. (Reuters)
- Top 10 Dying Industries – Real Time Economics. (WSJ)
- More Posts Moving the Markets.
Lighter Ideas and Fun Links that I Found Interesting This Week
- Paul Allen Slams Bill Gates in Memoir: When $13BB Isn't Enough. (MW & VF)
- First-Person Account of Southwest's Plane Landing After Roof Blew Off. (Insider)
- Clearest Picture of Japan’s Crisis Comes from 1000s of Miles Away. (NYTimes)
- Great Visualization of the Imperial History of the Middle East. (Forbes)
- Lost City of Atlantis, Swamped by Tsunami, Found by Researchers? (Reuters)
- More Posts with Lighter Ideas and Fun Links.
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Here Are Some Links That Caught My Eye This Week
Some weekend reading.First, you may have seen that Butler will be making another trip to the NCAA Championship game.Well, the Onion has it covered. Here is a link to their article: "Butler Bulldogs Inspire Thousands Of Tall, Goony-Looking Midwestern Dorks".Business Posts Moving the Markets that I Found Interesting This Week:
- Goldman Sachs Partners Selling Shares – What Does it Mean? (Dealbook)
- Wal-Mart CEO Bill Simon Expects Inflation. (USAToday)
- Gartner: Tablet Trend to Boost IT Spending by Billions. (AllThingsDigital)
- Meg Whitman joins VC Firm Kleiner Perkins. (Reuters)
- Top 10 Dying Industries – Real Time Economics. (WSJ)
- More Posts Moving the Markets.
Lighter Ideas and Fun Links that I Found Interesting This Week
- Paul Allen Slams Bill Gates in Memoir: When $13BB Isn't Enough. (MW & VF)
- First-Person Account of Southwest's Plane Landing After Roof Blew Off. (Insider)
- Clearest Picture of Japan’s Crisis Comes from 1000s of Miles Away. (NYTimes)
- Great Visualization of the Imperial History of the Middle East. (Forbes)
- Lost City of Atlantis, Swamped by Tsunami, Found by Researchers? (Reuters)
- More Posts with Lighter Ideas and Fun Links.
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Comparing Chinese Provinces with Countries
China is still a toddler from an economic perspective. No doubt, It is growing quickly. What will happen as it matures?
photo of toddler from Sun article.Here is an infographic from the Economist that shows which countries match the GDP, population and exports of Chinese provinces.
China is now the world’s second-biggest economy; but some of its provinces by themselves would rank fairly high in the global league.
This map shows the nearest equivalent country. For example, Guangdong's GDP (at market exchange rates) is almost as big as Indonesia's; the output of both Jiangsu and Shandong exceeds Switzerland’s.
They also produced an interactive country comparison to the US states.
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Comparing Chinese Provinces with Countries
China is still a toddler from an economic perspective. No doubt, It is growing quickly. What will happen as it matures?
photo of toddler from Sun article.Here is an infographic from the Economist that shows which countries match the GDP, population and exports of Chinese provinces.
China is now the world’s second-biggest economy; but some of its provinces by themselves would rank fairly high in the global league.
This map shows the nearest equivalent country. For example, Guangdong's GDP (at market exchange rates) is almost as big as Indonesia's; the output of both Jiangsu and Shandong exceeds Switzerland’s.
They also produced an interactive country comparison to the US states.
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Here Are Some Links That Caught My Eye This Week
Business Posts Moving the Markets that I Found Interesting This Week:
- Goldman's Magnum Opus On The Economic Impact From Japan's Earthquake. (ZeroHedge)
- Emerging Markets: Will Fortune Favor the Brave? (FT)
- Hedge Fund Bets $40MM That Twitter Can Predict The Stock Market. (HuffPost & CNBC)
- A Funny Feeling About the Stock Market. (Of_Two_Minds)
- Money Rushes Into Social Start-Ups at Eye-Popping Valuations. (WSJ)
- More Posts Moving the Markets.
Lighter Ideas and Fun Links that I Found Interesting This Week
- Does Moammar Gadhafi Really Use 40 Lipsticked Virgins as His Personal Guardians? (AOL)
- Organized Religion 'Will Be Driven Toward Extinction' in These 9 Countries. (CNN)
- Where Do Bad Moods Come From? (Wired)
- The Pace of Innovation: Why Internet Explorer Will Survive & Firefox Won't. (ZDNet)
- The iPad 2 Reviews Are In — Read The Best Parts Here (BusinessInsider & NYTimes)
- More Posts with Lighter Ideas and Fun Links.
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Here Are Some Links That Caught My Eye This Week
Business Posts Moving the Markets that I Found Interesting This Week:
- Goldman's Magnum Opus On The Economic Impact From Japan's Earthquake. (ZeroHedge)
- Emerging Markets: Will Fortune Favor the Brave? (FT)
- Hedge Fund Bets $40MM That Twitter Can Predict The Stock Market. (HuffPost & CNBC)
- A Funny Feeling About the Stock Market. (Of_Two_Minds)
- Money Rushes Into Social Start-Ups at Eye-Popping Valuations. (WSJ)
- More Posts Moving the Markets.
Lighter Ideas and Fun Links that I Found Interesting This Week
- Does Moammar Gadhafi Really Use 40 Lipsticked Virgins as His Personal Guardians? (AOL)
- Organized Religion 'Will Be Driven Toward Extinction' in These 9 Countries. (CNN)
- Where Do Bad Moods Come From? (Wired)
- The Pace of Innovation: Why Internet Explorer Will Survive & Firefox Won't. (ZDNet)
- The iPad 2 Reviews Are In — Read The Best Parts Here (BusinessInsider & NYTimes)
- More Posts with Lighter Ideas and Fun Links.
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Gallon to Gallon – Are Gas Prices Really That High?
Have you noticed gas prices lately?
As we appraoch $4 per gallon, it's enough to create a different form of March Madness.
Gallon to Gallon – Are Gas Prices Really That High?
In response to Sarah Palin's complaints about gas prices, here is a look at other things priced per gallon.
That puts things in a different perspective; doesn't it?
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Gallon to Gallon – Are Gas Prices Really That High?
Have you noticed gas prices lately?
As we appraoch $4 per gallon, it's enough to create a different form of March Madness.
Gallon to Gallon – Are Gas Prices Really That High?
In response to Sarah Palin's complaints about gas prices, here is a look at other things priced per gallon.
That puts things in a different perspective; doesn't it?
