William Dunkelberg
William Dunkelberg
business clearly cuts expressed good news pleasure rate sector signs small
The small business sector is clearly slowing, but there are no signs of 'disorder' in the exiting, ... This is good news for the Fed, which expressed its pleasure by hinting at rate cuts if things slowed too quickly.
auto crippling event growth indicate industry latest major next percent rate readings six strike survey
Barring a crippling auto industry strike or some other major event unforeseen in May, the latest survey readings indicate a growth rate of about 3 percent during the next six months,
board business expansion fill job natural open owners people plans positions raising small struggling wages
Small business owners are raising wages to keep the people already on board and to make open positions more attractive. With many small firms struggling to fill job slots, it's natural to see expansion plans being put on hold.
costs credit few harder interest large
Credit costs more but is no harder to get. And because interest costs are not particularly large for most firms, there are few complaints.
points record shy strong three
While three points shy of the record set in December, that's still a very strong number.
attack expected gains next posting sales taken three widespread
to have taken the attack personally, posting widespread reductions in expected real sales gains over the next three months.
caught dollars music terrific
The 'tone' is terrific but the dollars haven't caught up with the music.
dollar economy employers employment fairly good holds increase net next percent period plan small three year
A net 17 percent of small employers plan to increase employment in the next three months, indicating that this year could be a fairly good period for manufacturing if the economy holds and the dollar weakens.
compared last
Compared to last year, it's not a party, but historically, it's not so bad,
capital current five good healthier owners period spending strong time views
Capital spending (actual and planned) got healthier and one in five owners views the current period as a good time to expand, strong for this period in the cycle.
backed bound cool degree ease economy general high main mountain optimism owners painting resting scenario street top view
Main Street optimism has backed down from the mountain top and is resting on a high plateau. The general view is that things have been going well for so long, they're bound to ease back a bit. Small-business owners aren't painting a doom-and-gloom scenario here. They just sense that the red-hot economy will cool by a degree or two.
action frequency gains level reported sales shopping
Shopping action must have been heavy, as the frequency of reported sales gains jumped way up in November, to the third-highest level in all of '98.
data inflation point worst
The data still point to an acceleration of inflation in 2000, but hint ever so tantalizingly at the possibility that the worst may be past,
aggregate appears broad cheap consumer consumers eating front holding ordering seems spending
Consumer spending seems to be holding up in the aggregate figures, but it appears that consumers are 'shaving' spending on a broad front ? still eating out but ordering the cheap entrees,