Smackdown! Microsoft versus Google
To be filed under Outsource THIS right off my desktop! Google has taken aim at one of the two biggest Mister Softee moneymakers: "On...
Household Cash versus Debt
Yesterday, DF asked about the negative savings rate. I noted the RM column I wrote last June (Ignore Statistical Oddities at Your Peril)...
Real Consumption versus NAHB Sentiment
I spoke with Hugh Moore of Guerite Advisors over the weekend. Hugh has sent this chart over, and I found it worth sharing (I’ll...
Oil Plunge: Good for Retail, Bad for Earnings?
After starting the year in a funk, Markets have rallied on Crude dropping to 19 month lows. Dropping oil prices are a double edged sword:...
Phantom Rebound in the Housing Market
Dan Gross had a good Sunday Times piece on a favorite subject of ours: The Phantom Rebound in the Housing Market. Not surprisingly, it...
Apple iPhone: Drool Worthy
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." -Arthur C. Clarke > Yes, magic: A drool worthy...
Retail Sales Roundup
I’ve found a few interesting items that are worth noting regarding Retail. In addition to the basic media coverage: • Retailers...
ICSC Retail Sales Data
Here’s some data Cherry Picking on my part: yet another intriguing piece of Retail Sales data, from the ICSC: "Chain...
The State of the Consumer, by the Numbers
Given our focus today on Retail sales this week, it is appropriate to reference another source of data on the consumer. This commentary...
Retail follow up
Prior to Thanksgiving, I made my holiday shopping forecast: "I am looking for a gain in holiday sales (year over year) that...