Mark Vitner
Mark Vitner
earlier gas prices rise usual
I think we'll see gas prices rise earlier than usual and faster.
breathing fed gives interest room
It gives the Fed a little more breathing room on interest rates, that's the most I can say.
responding talk
I think they would be responding to all the talk of outsourcing and all the talk in the headlines.
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The 10 million jobs may be realistic, but it may not be all that different from what we would see no matter what happens. We're looking for 3 million jobs to be created in 2004. Even if Kerry is elected, he'll have no bearing on the economy until 2006.
consumers
It is important to look at what consumers are doing, not what they are saying,
august due numbers rest solid spending
I think spending will be pretty solid the rest of the year. The August numbers will be important due to back-to-school sales.
bonds boomers college interest money save start starting stocks
Just as when you save for kids' college, you don't want all your money in stocks two years before they start school. Now that the boomers are starting to retire, there's a lot more interest in bonds and longer-dated paper.
caused december forward january might normally occurred orders pulled
That caused some orders to be pulled forward into December that might have normally occurred in January or February,
markets rational
Markets are rational and forward-looking. However, they can also be wrong.
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I think Ferguson might be the best vice chairman we've ever had.
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I think it's going to be a bad month for retailers. The news was so horrific coming out of New Orleans that it made people not feel like going out to dinner.
continues defy demand doom housing quite record remains strong year
It continues to defy all the expectations of doom in the housing market. Demand for housing still remains quite strong and this year will be a record year for single-family construction.
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It (consumer sentiment) was a little higher than expected, but the stock market has come back, gasoline prices have come down, and the weather has been beautiful and that has to affect consumers somewhat.
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It confirms that this recession in 2001 was not particularly mild or as short as some folks had thought, ... We were expecting at least two negative quarters, and the fact we had three is a little bit of a surprise. That helps explain why we're having so much difficulty generating some positive momentum right now. The economy was weaker than we had thought.