Gary Thayer
Gary Thayer
economy good increases labor likelihood markets number remain
It's a good number for the economy. Labor markets are improving, and that increases the likelihood that the economy will remain strong.
appears brought decline drop energy good inflation november overall prices rate
It's a good decline in prices for a change. It appears the big drop in energy prices during November has brought the overall inflation rate down considerably.
bad softer
It's a little softer than expected, but it's not all bad news.
annual building instead percent personal possibly price rate revised
The personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price deflator was revised from 0.7 percent annual rate to 1.0. That's still very low, but it was revised upward instead of downward. There is possibly some building inflationary pressure, but it's still very benign.
capital compared decline improve last months orders past positive relative rising seven sign
We've seen, over the past seven months or so, orders stabilize or improve slightly, compared to a big decline last year. Orders are rising relative to inventories, and that's a positive sign for capital spending.
appears bit consumers energy improvement longer october prices rebuilding
We were anticipating that we could see a little bit of an improvement in October because the rebuilding after the hurricanes appears to have started and energy prices have stabilized, but it appears that it will take a little longer for consumers to feel better about things.
good job positive seeing shows strong
We're still seeing a strong economy, ... shows that we still have very good job creation. I think it's very encouraging and a positive thing for American business.
companies cutting hear minds period weak weighs
We're still in a seasonally weak period of year, where companies are trimming workforces. It weighs on people's minds when they hear about companies cutting back.
basically despite economy fact lower prices production seeing weak
We still have a very weak world economy, despite the fact that the U.S. economy is still doing pretty good, ... We're seeing lower prices basically because there is more production out there than demand.
couple data likely next reflect
Unfortunately, this is pre-Katrina data and may not reflect what we're likely to see in the next couple of months.
categories goods ok others outright sales seeing services strength
We're not seeing a lot of strength in goods and services right now. Sales are mixed. Some categories are doing OK and others are weak. We're not seeing an outright decline.
coast couple good gulf jobs loss months next numbers
We probably won't see good (employment) numbers in the next couple of months because of the loss of jobs in the Gulf Coast region,
couple data decline dollar fall help higher inflation last narrow risk seen suggesting trade
(The data are) suggesting the decline we've seen in the dollar over the last couple of years is not having an impact. It suggests the dollar may still need to fall to help narrow the trade deficit. But there's a risk to higher inflation if it does.
component decline good looks moderation paid prices pricing seeing
The decline in the prices paid component is good news. It looks as if we're seeing some moderation in pricing pressures, but not a significant drop.