Stephen Wood
Stephen Wood
Stephen Wray Wood served as a Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's sixty-first House district, including constituents in Guilford county. Wood served eight terms in the State House from 1984–2005. Before election to the NC House he served as Professor of History and Education and Assistant Academic Dean at John Wesley College, High Point, North Carolina...
conditions continue data employment labor market payroll recent reports robust suggest
These data continue to suggest that labor market conditions are much more robust that recent payroll employment and help-wanted reports have indicated.
consumer determine fighting fights-and-fighting growth income jobs larger slow strength tax wage weather
Better weather and larger tax refunds are fighting with slow growth in jobs and wage income to determine the strength of consumer spending. Right now, it's about a tie.
activity business coming economy growing momentum months providing quite recent services
Business activity in the services and construction sectors has been accelerating in recent months and is now growing quite quickly, providing momentum for the economy coming into 2005.
absence chinese closer creation energy fed fiscal higher job moderation sluggish
With higher energy prices, the absence of fiscal stimulus, sluggish job creation and some moderation in Chinese growth, the Fed is probably closer to being done than it thinks.
appears bond comfort fact helping less lift officials people rate rising taking
The rebounding dollar-yen is helping give a lift to the bond market. People are taking some comfort from the fact that it appears officials will act to keep the yen from rising too much, and the fact that there's less anticipation of an Oct. 5 rate hike.
appears bond comfort fact helping less lift officials people rate rising taking
The rebounding dollar-yen is helping give a lift to the bond market, ... People are taking some comfort from the fact that it appears officials will act to keep the yen from rising too much, and the fact that there's less anticipation of an Oct. 5 rate hike.
both case economic help interest japan looking market realize stronger willing
Both the U.S. and Japan realize that it's not in Japan's economic interest to have a stronger yen, and they don't need anything that could potentially short-circuit that. It's probably the case that the U.S. will be willing to help them out a bit, which is what the market will be looking for.
broad market style
It's not just one or two things working and everything else not working. It's an all-cap, all-style, broad market rally.
bullish chunks corporate purchased
When you see big chunks get purchased by corporate officers, that historically has been a very bullish signal,
activity although domestic economic general improvement report strong supporting weakness
Although the weakness in this month's report was broad-based, still strong domestic economic activity and improvement in international economic activity is supporting general manufacturing activity.
cell consumer major personal three
There's a convergence between three major sectors: personal computing, consumer electronics and cell phones.
dollars giving increasing shifting taking
This is taking dollars from Wal-Mart and giving it to Shell. It's shifting the money. It's not increasing inflation.
consumer fourth quarter rise slowly spending third
This anemic rise at the end of the third quarter suggests that consumer spending will rise much more slowly in the fourth quarter,
closer likely looking market obviously trading until
We're probably much more likely to be trading closer with the dollar. There may be some intervention that's coming, which is what the market is looking for, but it's obviously one of those things that we won't know about until it happens.