< Earlier Discussion  | PAGE 601 OF 601 |  Later Discussion > Aug-27-08    jpatlantic: NEW YORK - Oil prices climbed for a third day Wednesday as fears deepened that Tropical Storm Gustav could enter the Gulf of Mexico as a powerful hurricane and disrupt oil and natural gas production. On its current trajectory, Gustav could also damage fuel refineries along the vulnerable Gulf Coast and push gasoline prices higher at the pump in time for Labor Day weekend. Light, sweet crude for October delivery rose $1.88 to settle at $118.15 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after earlier spiking as high as $119.63. Crude has tacked more than $3 onto its price since Friday as worries over Gustav at least temporarily halt oil's steep, monthlong slide from July's record price above $147 a barre Aug-26-08    jpatlantic: FRANKFURT, Germany - Consumer confidence in Europe's biggest economy declined for a fourth month in a row, sliding to another five-year low as lower energy prices failed to bolster Germans' likelihood of buying new goods, a report released Tuesday found. A separate report, meanwhile, found that business executives' confidence in the German economy had also dropped to a three-year low in August, the third consecutive monthly decline. The forward-looking GfK consumer climate forecast index dropped to 1.5 points for September from a revised 1.9 points in August. The last time it was that low was five years earlier. "The consumer climate ... was depressed further by the very subdued economic outlook. Even significantly lower crude oil prices did nothing to brighten the consumer mood," the report said. Aug-25-08    jpatlantic: WASHINGTON - Sales of existing homes rose 3.1 percent in July, surpassing expectations, as buyers snapped up deeply discounted properties in parts of the country hit hardest by the housing bust. However, the number of unsold properties hit an all-time high, the latest indication that the worst housing slump in decades is far from over. Prices nationwide are not expected to hit bottom until early next year. The National Association of Realtors reported Monday that sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5 million units, down from June's downwardly revised rate of 4.85 million units. Sales had been expected to rise by only 1.6 percent, according to economists surveyed by Thom Aug-22-08    jpatlantic: NEW YORK - Wall Street capped a volatile week with sharp gains Friday as oil prices tumbled and after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said inflation pressures are likely to moderate. The Dow Jones industrial average rose nearly 200 points. Speculation that Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. could be sold helped buoy the financial sector and the overall market. Analysts warned this week that the investment bank could book large write-downs for bad debt. But reports Friday that Korea Development Bank is considering buying the company sent investors rushing for the stock. Lehman rose 69 cents, or 5 percent, to $14.41 but finished well off its highs of the session. Aug-21-08    jpatlantic: NEW YORK - Oil prices shot up $6 a barrel Thursday, rising to the highest level in two weeks as escalating tensions with Russia stoked fears of a disruption of energy shipments to Western countries. Crude's rally mimicked the wild price swings seen last month and have at least temporarily halted oil's slide back toward $100 a barrel. A weaker U.S. dollar and worries about tightening output from OPEC countries are also supporting prices. Tensions with Russia about a deal between Washington and Poland to install a missile defense system in Eastern Europe — seen as a threat by Moscow — and the continued presence of Russia in Georgia contributed greatly to the bullish mood Aug-20-08    jpatlantic: WASHINGTON - Shares of mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continued their plunge Wednesday as investors became increasingly convinced that the stocks will drop to zero if the government bails out the troubled companies. Fannie Mae's chief executive sought to reassure investors that no bailout is imminent. "They haven't offered anything and we haven't asked for anything," Fannie Mae CEO Daniel Mudd said in a public radio interview Wednesday morning. "I don't anticipate that they will do that." Mudd said the company's financial position "remains very strong," and that he intends to remain Fannie's CEO. Executives with McLean, Va.-based Freddie Mac met with Treasury department officials on Wednesday morning, according to two sources familiar with the meeting who were not authorized to discuss its contents publicly. They described it as part of a regular series of meetings that have been occurring since last month when the Bush administration announced a plan to aid the two companies. Aug-18-08    jpatlantic: NEW YORK - Wall Street retreated Monday after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fell to their lowest levels in nearly 20 years on concerns that the government might need to bail out the mortgage financiers. Weakness in the overall financial sector sent the Dow Jones industrial average down more than 175 points. Investors were again uneasy about the health of financial companies after media reports of further problems in the sector. Barron's said the U.S. Treasury might have to bail out government-chartered Fannie and Freddie, which, the weekly noted, would likely wipe out shareholders' equity in the companies. Aug-12-08    jpatlantic: WASHINGTON - The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly fell in June as exports advanced to an all-time high, offsetting another big surge in oil imports. The Commerce Department reported Tuesday the trade imbalance dropped to $56.8 billion in June, down by 4.1 percent from a revised May deficit of $59.2 billion. It was the smallest deficit in three months and much better than the $61.5 billion deficit Wall Street had been expecting. Exports of goods and services rose to a record of $164.4 billion, helped by the dollar's declines earlier in the year, which have made U.S. goods cheaper on overseas markets. Aug-11-08    jpatlantic: NEW YORK - Oil prices fell below $114 on Monday for the first time since early May as the dollar extended its rebound and more signs emerged that China's energy demand could be leveling off. In earlier trading, oil had fluctuated as traders monitored the conflict between Russia and Georgia that some believe could disrupt supplies. But those worries faded to the background when the world's seven largest economic powers called on Russia to accept an immediate cease-fire, and the energy markets turned their attention to a report from China that its crude oil imports in July were down significantly from last year. Aug-07-08    jpatlantic: Barnet:the big 3 I do like this word,means they are a team now,this is very good. Aug-07-08    jpatlantic: Barney:About flex fuel cars. Dont tell to anybody,keep it as secret,but flex cars do not perform well ,in ethanol or gas.Is other words,a sole gas car work better than a flex fuel car filled up with gas, in ethanol case is the same. Aug-07-08    jpatlantic: Barney"Why haven't the big 3 invested in this technology? " Well,nobody is perfect.. Aug-05-08    Barney: Why haven't the big 3 invested in this technology? I will go further, why is GM/Ford selling flex fuel vehicles in Brazil but not in the US? They already have the right cars... but not in the US. Now, after they are forced to close factories and fire thousands of workers they "discover" that oil is expensive and that big trucks are going the way of Italian supremacy in European Football. Aug-05-08    jpatlantic: Dingell Pushes Access to $25 Billion in Plant Aid for GM, Ford By Jeff Green Aug. 5 (Bloomberg) -- A Michigan lawmaker is asking the U.S. to speed rules that would free up $25 billion in government loans to convert General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC factories to build alternative-fuel vehicles. The funding is part of last year's energy bill, and the rules were supposed to be written within a year of its December passage, Representative John Dingell wrote yesterday in a letter to U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman. ``It is essential for the department to undertake this effort with urgency,'' wrote Dingell, a Democrat and chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. ``Providing the domestic automobile industry with targeted and timely assistance will help stimulate the entire economy.'' The push follows Ford's and GM's posting of a combined $24.2 billion in losses for the second quarter. GM, Ford and Chrysler are closing factories that produce pickups and sport-utility vehicles being shunned by U.S. consumers as gasoline hovers near $4 per gallon. They are also speeding development of models such as gasoline-electric hybrids, fuel-cell vehicles and electric cars that use less or no fossil fuel. ``The Congress and candidates are asking how they can support an industry critical to the economy,'' GM spokesman Greg Martin said. ``We're pointing to an existing mechanism that can help,'' he said, referring to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Ford spokesman Mark Truby and Chrysler spokeswoman Shawn Morgan didn't have an immediate comment. Aug-04-08    jpatlantic: Prices hit US consumer spending A US shopper Rising prices have reduced the effectiveness of the stimulus package Consumer spending in the US slowed in June, official figures have shown, as Americans were hit by the biggest price rises since 1981. Inflation-adjusted spending fell 0.2% in June, the Commerce Department said. Its inflation gauge rose 0.8% in the month, which was the biggest increase since February 1981's reading of 1.0%. On Tuesday the Federal Reserve will announce its latest interest rates move with economists saying that inflation will make the decision tough. The Fed is expected to keep interest rates unchanged, but there will be much interest in whether its statement expresses concerns about rising prices - which have reduced the impact of the government's $168bn stimulus programme. Jul-30-08    jpatlantic: DETROIT - General Motors Corp. plans to cut 15 percent of its U.S. and Canadian salaried work force — or around 5,100 jobs — by Nov. 1 as part of a plan to slash billions of dollars in costs and help the automaker ride out a slump in U.S. sales. A GM official declined to confirm the specific numbers Wednesday but indicated they were generally accurate. The official asked not to be named because the company had not planned to release the numbers until later. Word of the cuts came two days before GM plans to release its second-quarter earnings. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial are predicting a loss of $2.63 per share on revenues of $44.6 billion amid plummeting U.S. truck and sport utility vehicle sales and restructuring costs. Jul-29-08    jpatlantic: WASHINGTON (AFP) - US consumer confidence showed slender gains in July but still reflected a "grim" assessment of economic conditions, the Conference Board reported Tuesday. The business research firm said its monthly index of consumer confidence edged up to 51.9 percent from a revised 51.0 in June, yet cautioned against reading too much into the gain. The figure is about half the level of a year ago, reflecting steep declines in confidence as a result of a deep housing crisis and credit squeeze. It was somewhat better than the figure of 50 percent expected on Wall Street. Jul-28-08    jpatlantic: Hello guys,back from Argentina. The country has everything to be a great nation, land ,natural resources,big and educated population,but all this is NOT enough.In a accurate observation IMO the problem is the lack of good schools of economy in the country,government economists still using rules and patterns of the old way, tried in other countries without results , as frozen prices ,excessive control of gov on economy and mainly the agriculture issue. So,my best advice to the Argentinian people is to shoot their leaders and everything will go fine after that. Anyway is a loving country , i am seriously considering my retirement in Argentina south patagonian city of Puerto Madryn in few years. Jul-26-08    Barney: How are you sovereignwatch? Anyone here following local currency bonds? Jul-10-08    Barney: Have fun Jp, just be careful with 'em Argy bonds! < Earlier Discussion  | PAGE 601 OF 601 |  Later Discussion > NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a comment. Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous, and 100% free--plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the Shibui community!   If you already have an account, you should login now.   Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, or profane language. No spamming, advertising, or duplicating posts. No personal attacks against other users. Nothing in violation of United States law.   Thank you.   WARNING:   This discussion forum is not connected in any way with the companies discussed in it. The messages posted in this discussion forum merely represent the opinions of the posters and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose. 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