Recovery Summer Continues!!!!

[KMAN]

Being the the first day of fall was September 23... I guess I should change the title to Recovery Fall Continues...

 

[LibocalypseNow]

Man i'm just glad their "Recovery Summer" is finally over. What a sad nightmare.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Man i'm just glad their "Recovery Summer" is finally over. What a sad nightmare.

After the BUTT-WHUPPIN' your predictions have taken, I'm not surprised.

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[Mr. Shaman]

September 30, 2010​

"Wall Street wrapped up its best quarter in a year on Thursday with the S&P and Nasdaq logging in the biggest monthly gains since April 2009, as data showed the economy isn't in such bad shape.

Defying September's track record as the worst month for stocks, the S&P 500 was up 8.8 percent. In the third quarter, the index gained 10.7 percent, which was the best in a year.

A poll by Reuters showed leading investors around the world increased equity holdings to their highest level in three months in September and reduced bonds and cash holdings as confidence about the global economy grew."

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[Mr. Shaman]

October 1, 2010​

"General Motors Co GM.UL posted an annual sales gain of 10.5 percent in September amid evidence that the U.S. auto market remained stuck in a slow-moving recovery at the start of the fourth quarter.

GM was the first of the major U.S. automakers to report sales for the month.

Analysts and industry executives expect auto sales near 11.5 million vehicles on an annualized basis in September, almost flat from August after adjusting for the typical early fall slowdown.

GM said it expected industry-wide sales had fallen to a range of about 970,000 to 980,000 vehicles in September compared with sales of over 997,000 in August.

"Consumers are sending a very clear message that they will be cautious with their spending," GM sales chief Don Johnson told reporters and analysts.

Despite the still-slack demand for new cars that analysts link to consumer concerns about weak housing and new hiring, GM said there were positive developments in its September sales.

Johnson and other GM executives said the automaker was heading into the fourth quarter with a much higher share of new models than it had held a year earlier, reducing the pressure for incentives."

​

"After enduring months of bad news and gloomy political forecasts, some Democrats are seeing signs of hope that Republican gains in the November 2 congressional elections will not be as big as predicted.

A modest boost in the party's national poll numbers and an upturn for Democratic candidates in a few key states, particularly California and Washington, have fueled Democratic hopes that a yearlong Republican wave of momentum may have crested.

Several recent opinion polls also show a slight erosion in the huge Republican edge in enthusiasm for voting as President Barack Obama turns up his attacks on Republican economic policies while core Democrats begin to engage in the campaign."

 

[Mr. Shaman]

October 3, 2010

RVs' Return May Indicate Consumer Recovery

Following a sales plunge in 2008 and 2009, recreational vehicle manufacturers are finding some traction this year with cheaper, greener models. Towables outpace motor homes.​

"Sales at leading recreational vehicle (RV) maker Thor Industries (THO) are on the road to recovery after being slammed by high gas prices, scarce credit, and recession-racked consumers. U.S. consumers are favoring less expensive and more fuel-efficient models, analysts and industry experts say.

Americans' willingness to spend, if not splurge, on so-called second homes on wheels could in turn provide a clue to positive trends in the broader economy.

On Sept. 24, the RVIA released August data showing that the 177,300 RVs shipped to dealers so far in 2010 had exceeded levels at this point in 2009 by 70 percent. In 2009, the number of RVs shipped to dealers was 58 percent below the 390,500 RVs shipped in the peak year of 2006, according to the RVIA."

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[KissMy]

Midnight Shopping On The Brink Of Poverty

Despite torrential rain outside and flash-flood warnings across the area, the couple arrives to shop. Tracy Young says they've been doing this midnight run on the last day of every month for so long now that they're on a first-name basis with Gloria, their cashier. Tracy Young says. At a stroke or two after midnight they begin unloading their carts at the checkout. Tracy says they set aside $500 for groceries a month. With five kids, the money they get never lasts until the next monthly check.

"It's usually about a week and a half," she says. "We try to figure out what we need to do about a week and a half before the end of the month." That's why they're here at midnight: It's when their food stamps and government checks for their 3-year-old daughter kick in on the first of every month.

Shelf-Stocking Patterns For The First Of Every Month

Wal-Mart noticed that sales were spiking on the first of every month. In a recent conference call with investment analysts, Wal-Mart executive Bill Simon said these midnight shoppers provide a snapshot of the American economy today.

"And if you really think about it," Simon said, "the only reason somebody gets out and buys baby formula is they need it and they've been waiting for it. Otherwise, we're open 24 hours, come at 5 a.m., come at 7 a.m., come at 10 a.m. But if you're there at midnight you're there for a reason."

And so Wal-Mart has changed its stocking pattern. It brings out larger packs of items in the beginning of the month, and smaller sizes toward the end. It makes sure shelves have plenty of diapers and formula.

"It's definitely an indicator in terms of people who are struggling," says Charles Fishman, journalist and author of The Wal-Mart Effect. "That tells you there's a large swath of America that is still very carefully calculating how much money is available and how they're spending it on even the most basic things like diapers and milk and bread. That's not the sign of an economy that's shaken off the recession."

 

[KMAN]

And the Obama Beat Goes On...

Food Stamp Recipients at Record 41.8 Million Americans in July, U.S. Says - Bloomberg

 

[topspin]

my 401K just passed the pre crash level. Booo fucking yahh

 

[KissMy]

The Zimbabwe stock market & Zimbabwe Industrial Index also reach new highs all the time.

Their retirement stocks are also enjoying great earnings.

Stock chart of the day:

The Zimbabwe Industrial Index over 12 months

 

[kyzr]

my 401K just passed the pre crash level. Booo fucking yahh

Congrats. Keep a close eye on it in case its a double-dipper.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

October 18, 2010​

"Kokomo is going back to work.

A year and a half ago the fate of this car town, home to four Chrysler plants and a Delphi facility, was as uncertain as the American auto industry itself.

Now, thanks largely to the federal government, the town's unemployment rate has gone from over 20% to under 14%.

Economists disagree over the real nationwide impact of the massive stimulus jolt orchestrated by President Obama. But here in Kokomo, the Recovery Act and Obama's auto bailout have jolted Kokomo back to life -- keeping big industry from fleeing and attracting newcomers as well.

"We wouldn't be standing here," said Brian Harlow, a 32-year Chrysler veteran who grew up in Kokomo and now is based at the company's headquarters outside Detroit. "It would have been a ghost town."

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[Mr. Shaman]

"Chrysler Group LLC will spend $600 million to upgrade production at its Illinois assembly plant, bringing the auto maker's total announced U.S. investment to $2.1 billion since its exit from bankruptcy court last year.

The company will use the funds to build a body shop and install new machines at the Belvidere assembly plant to support the production of future models in 2012. The plant is home to the Jeep Compass, Jeep Patriot and Dodge Caliber."

"The administration's right. Republicans were prepared to let the American auto industry fail at the height of the Great Recession, but President Obama rescued it instead. If the auto bailout and Obama's presidency are inextricably tied, the White House has reason to boast."

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[Mr. Shaman]

November 12, 2010​

"General Motors Co's landmark initial public offering has already garnered $60 billion in orders, six times the amount it had planned to raise, in a sign of healthy investor interest for the massive automaker that was in desperate straits just over a year ago.

The robust demand for shares of GM, the American industrial icon which filed for bankruptcy in June 2009, underscores growing investor confidence the auto industry has come through the punishing downturn of the past two years with sharply lower costs and higher profit potential.

The strong response also bodes well for upcoming initial public offerings by other auto industry companies that restructured in bankruptcy, such as Chrysler and auto parts suppliers Delphi and Visteon, analysts said.

Just over a year after a politically unpopular $50 billion bailout that left the U.S. Treasury with a 61 percent stake, GM filed to sell about $10 billion worth of common stock and $3 billion of preferred shares. Such an offering would mark the second-biggest U.S. IPO ever after Visa Inc and one of the largest, globally.

"There's already a tremendous amount of interest because (GM) restructured themselves completely," said Mirko Mikelic, a fixed-income portfolio manager at Fifth Third Asset Management, who plans to buy GM's preferred shares."

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[KissMy]

Those orders are from Government Funded GE you dumb-ass. Anyone stupid enough to invest in that BS deserves to be in the poorhouse. How is that Democrat consumer protection law working for you? Isn't it supposed to protect you from stupid investments?

 

[Mr. Shaman]

Those orders are from Government Funded GE you dumb-ass. Anyone stupid enough to invest in that BS deserves to be in the poorhouse. How is that Democrat consumer protection law working for you? Isn't it supposed to protect you from stupid investments?

Keep TELLIN' yourself, that, Goober!!​

"The U.S. Treasury will remain the largest shareholder after the IPO. The governments of Canada and Ontario and the UAW VEBA healthcare trust will also continue to hold shares, leaving some to wonder whether the IPO will allow GM to shed its "Government Motors" nickname.

"The market will obviously price all that in. Some investors are going to say the investment is still worth it now and others will say stay away. I think investors who stay away will probably end up regretting that," said David Whiston, an analyst at Morningstar."

 

[KissMy]

Immelt Buying Volts Casts GE as Electric-Car Corporate Catalyst

GE unveiled its order yesterday as automakers prepare a new generation of battery-powered autos, including GM’s Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Motor Co.’s Leaf, to reach showrooms as early as the end of this year. GM’s portion of the order is 12,000 vehicles, including the 2011 Volt.

Corporate purchases can help nurture a viable commercial market for the cars, because initial demand among retail buyers will be muted, said Ray Lane, managing partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

“Mass adoption by consumers of electric vehicles will happen slowly because of range anxiety and cost,” said Lane, who said his Menlo Park, California-based firm has invested more than $1.5 billion in green technology startups that include carmakers Fisker Automotive Inc. and Norway’s Think.

 

[Mr. Shaman]

November 15, 2010​

"Sales at U.S. retailers rose more than expected in October to post their largest gain in seven months, further evidence the economy was regaining strength.

The sturdy retail sale report offered hope for the holiday season and the broader economy, whose recovery from the worst recession since the 1930s had slowed in the summer.

Total retail sales increased 1.2 percent, boosted by purchases of motor vehicles and building materials, after advancing by 0.7 percent in September. The rise last month was almost double market expectations for a 0.7 percent gain.

It was the fourth monthly increase in retail sales and was the latest in a series of data to suggest the economy was squeezing out of the soft patch hit in the summer.

October's retail sales report showed gains across most categories, offering hope that consumers will support the economy, despite a 9.6 percent unemployment rate. Data so far for October, including nonfarm payrolls and manufacturing, have pointed to a pick-up in the growth pace.

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[Mr. Shaman]

Immelt Buying Volts Casts GE as Electric-Car Corporate Catalyst

GE unveiled its order yesterday as automakers prepare a new generation of battery-powered autos, including GM’s Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Motor Co.’s Leaf, to reach showrooms as early as the end of this year. GM’s portion of the order is 12,000 vehicles, including the 2011 Volt.

Corporate purchases can help nurture a viable commercial market for the cars, because initial demand among retail buyers will be muted, said Ray Lane, managing partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

“Mass adoption by consumers of electric vehicles will happen slowly because of range anxiety and cost,” said Lane, who said his Menlo Park, California-based firm has invested more than $1.5 billion in green technology startups that include carmakers Fisker Automotive Inc. and Norway’s Think.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=369h-SEBXd8[/ame]

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[Mr. Shaman]

"Beiler founded the company in 1995, catering mainly to fellow Amish. As solar power gained popularity, he offered his services to the "English" -- non-Amish communities -- and business exploded. In 2008, the company completed $1.7 million in projects, mostly in the eastern half of the state. Last year, the number jumped to $4.3 million. This year, ASI is on pace to top $20 million in projects, including its first jobs out of state, Mitten said."

I guess "conservatives" forgot to tell them solar-power is so-much science-fiction.

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