Consumer Confidence: Why Do We Care
Why Investors Care About Consumer Confidence: The pattern in consumer attitudes and spending is often the foremost influence on stock and bond markets. For stocks, strong economic growth translates to healthy corporate profits and higher stock prices. For bonds, the focus is whether economic growth goes overboard and leads to inflation. Ideally, the economy walks [...]
Drawing Attention: A Weak Dollar
A weak dollar could draw more attention in the coming year. The dollar’s slide against other major currencies in recent years has helped drive up prices for energy and food and in turn contributed to the economic hardship some consumers face. A further drop in the dollar in 2008 could spell more trouble. Dave Minucci [...]
Consumer Spending Up, But Is It Good Or Bad
Consumer spending is closely watched because it accounts for two-thirds of total economic activity. Consumers put aside worries about slumping home sales and soaring gasoline prices and headed to the malls in November, pushing spending up by the largest amount in 3 1/2 years. Consumer spending surged by 1.1% last month, nearly triple the October [...]