Economy Blog

The BoE is unlikely to aggressively cut interest rates as it remain concerned about rising inflationary pressures.…
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The Monster Employment Index rose by 7 points in April, clocking in at 174. April?s index reading represents a 4.2% rise in online job availability over the month, although the index remains 12 points, or about 6.5%, below year-ago levels. The reading suggests that online recruitment conditions in the U.S. are beginning to stabilize, although recruitment remains notably weaker than it was last year.…
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There are few people I would actually pay to read in the era of ‘Freetent’. The internet has made it our god given right. I am all for freetent but because of it, the noise ratio has gotten out of hand and it seems like we have all gotten a little lost in our own voices. It’s a dangerous time.
I WOULD pay (I do pay for his books) to read Thomas Friedman. He is uber gifted.
This article was one of my recent faves - ‘D…
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I was right. The issue in the Ebay vs Craiglist list — essentially Ebay suing itself — was a poison pill (among other things) instituted in clandestine fashion by the kids at Craiglist to protect themselves, as they saw it, from big, bad Ebay. See the details from the WSJ tonight: For instance, as an "inducement" to convince eBay to enter into a new "right of first refusal" agreement, Messrs. Newmark and Buckmaster authorized the issuance of one "reorganization share" in Craigslist for every five shares owned by a shareholder who agrees to the "right of first refusal" agreement, according to the complaint. …
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You go long and the market immediately goes down - you go short and the market immediately goes up. That’s 2 consecutive losses, and you are getting a little ‘anxious’ so you don’t take the ‘next’ trade….
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One of the lowest risk and highest reward trades each day is typically the opening gap entry. It can be a fantastic opportunity for the astute trader to profit quickly….
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What’s behind the current food shortages: Is the increase in ethanol production to blame or is hoarding the problem?…
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Their heydays are over, but the shows go on: amateurs still do shows at the Apollo, the Rockettes still kick at Radio City Music Hall, The Rolling Stones still tour, and traders still trade on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange….
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Indicators point to better conditions for consumers, but a spending boost is unlikely.…
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Tightened lending standards are making it harder for small businesses to borrow money. So more are turning to plastic to make ends meet.
A recent survey by the National Small Business Association in Washington, D.C., finds that 44% of small businesses used a credit card to finance capital needs over the past 12 months and 55% had trouble securing credit. Credit cards were the only source of small-business financing that didn’t decrease between 2007 and 2008. And more than half the respondents say their credit-card terms have worsened in the past year.
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Flowers or fuel? (Scott Heppell/AP)
As I wrote last week, high energy prices have made plenty of previously unused oil deposits profitable. But the exploitation of those deposits has had some side effects, as Ian Austen writes. Even in the middle of the green business craze, could the environment be getting the shaft?
In Canada’s [...]…
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Indicators point to better conditions for consumers, but a spending boost is unlikely.…
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Unless you do your own economic forecasting, you are a consumer of economic data.  Where do you shop?

The Data

The preliminary report of first quarter GDP showed an increase of 0.6%.  Taken on its face, this is very low growth — below potential and a cause of distress for many.  No one would like this as a permanent condition.

If however, this proved to be the low point in the current cycle, it might be something like the "soft landing" that almost everyone thought was impossible two years ago.
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The other morning on CNBC I told Sue Herrera that instead of Microsoft walking away, which was undoubtedly tempting, I had decided it was more likely Microsoft firmed up its Yahoo offer and added a few dollars. Turns out, according to the WSJ late today, that is pretty much what Microsoft has in mind: A revised offer of closer to $33 looks likely, which, if containing a good percentage of cash, is likely to end things here.
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A quiet day in Asian trade as many markets observe the May Day national holiday.…
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I wish more of you would just follow me on Twitter because I am getting closer to only posting on stocks and portfolio changes over there. It takes a second and you just have to follow a few people and eavesdrop. Once again, I recommend Dr. Brett , Pearlman, Andy Swan, Soren and any of the other regular commenters here.
For those that continue to ask, here are some of my latest changes which I have been Twittering. Note - I remain very stock light.
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The KKR/SUNW convertible preferred PIPEs deal, an oddity in the private equity world up to that point, in retrospect looks like the harbinger of things to come. When I wrote about the deal in March 2007, I saw the following as being the principal reasons for such an investment:KKR knows that deal sourcing is going to get increasingly difficult.
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According to Lew, Ron’s new book is #1 on Amazon and will debut at #7 in Sunday’s NYT, making it the biggest selling libertarian book of all time. Or just get the whole collection for $90. …
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