Before things can get better they have to stop getting worse. We have talked about some of the very early signs that the economy is starting to turn.We have also seen bond and credit markets improving from last fall. But…
Wells Fargo kicked off earnings season last week with a preannouncement shocker - a $3 billion profit, double what analysts had forecast. Details on credit quality and trends were lacking and bad loan reserve levels were smaller than expected. Earnings results…
The March stock market rally was welcome, long overdue, and helped erase some of the losses experienced in investment portfolios this past year. Stock markets do not usually move in a straight direction for long. The last two quarters have…
Since the beginning of the year, we talked about how the shape of a recovery in the markets might look. We mentioned that stocks would recover before the economy does, and credit markets may recover before stocks. During this six-month credit…
Circuit City finally closed its doors on its 600 stores last week, eliminating another 34,000 jobs in the economy. Best Buy is still in business, a little leaner after some layoffs and early retirement buyouts. They will probably emerge from…
The 2008 - 2009 winter in Minnesota has been longer and colder than in recent years. The slowing economy and the downward spiral in the stock markets has probably made it seem even longer and colder for many of us.…