“People are going to be less inclined to drive to shopping centers. Instead, they're going to stay at home and if they carry on their usual holiday spending patterns then they will do it more likely online.”
“It's fairly safe to say that the trade deficit may have peaked now that oil prices are falling and the U.S. economy is showing signs of slowing down.”
“[( TIME.com ) -- Great news! Unemployment is up. Wages are stagnant. Hiring by U.S. companies is down for the first time in more than four years. But there might be some help wanted on Wall Street soon, because Friday's unemployment report is the stuff rallies are made of. Just a half hour into the trading day, the Dow was up 175 and the NASDAQ almost 200 (with inflation-fearing bonds whooping it up right alongside them) as investors saw visions of the long season of economic overdrive, interest-rate hikes and neurotic markets drawing to a close.] This is the latest sign that the economy is slowing down, and because these are labor numbers, they're going to have particular weight with the Fed, ... This is the kind of news that could take some of the uncertainty out of the markets and get stocks going up again.”
“In March and April, interest rates were going up very gradually, and tech investors figured Greenspan would taper off, because this was an election year. Now, the inflation picture is getting worse, and Greenspan is getting serious. And they're feeling the effects of higher interest rates.”
“There is a real sense of foreboding about the economy now that Katrina has struck with full force. This storm will be the most devastating ever for the U.S. oil and refining industries.”
“Our imports increase as long as the economy grows. But there's certainly a concern that our exports are down despite the fact that Asian and European economies have begun to rebound. Maintaining the high deficit is dangerous because that means a huge debt, and if our creditors lose confidence in the U.S. economy and begin selling dollars, which drives down the value of the currency, that could spark a serious inflation threat.”
“This is the latest sign that the economy is slowing down, and because these are labor numbers, they're going to have particular weight with the Fed. This is the kind of news that could take some of the uncertainty out of the markets and get stocks going up again.”
