Just Like That – We Are All Confident

It really is amazing to me as I look over the latest consumer confidence numbers.  The prior month’s reading showed a better than 50% surge in confidence. This last month reported a 34% higher than expected surge again in consumer confidence.   The reason for the optimism, reports the conference board, is the “recent jumps in [...]

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A Few Thoughts on a Monday

Since we changed the daily stock market outlook to a stock market alert format, there really hasn’t been much to “alert” you about concerning the markets.  So, I thought I would just start off this Monday with a quick update.  This should be a relatively quiet week with very little breaking economic reports being released.  [...]

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Changing Format of Market Outlook

Since the day to day market doesn’t always bring something of interest to write about, I am changing this to a stock market alert.  Starting next week, we will be alerting you when you need to know about something of significance.  If you are on twitter, you can know immediately when we post.  Just search [...]

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When Reality Sinks In – Illusive Confidence Snaps

Today offers us a good example of what happens when the illusion of confidence is broken.  Let’s start with the headlines this morning:
Stocks Sink as Retail Sales Slide
You mean to tell me that people aren’t buying things?  I am shocked!!  I thought that everything was recovering and OK.  
Then there was this headline -  U.S. Foreclosure Filings [...]

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Sell in May and Walk Away – Especially in Bear Markets

Brand New Prudent Money Blog – May 12 -Could the Government be Under-reporting the Jobless by 50%?
There is an old saying in the stock market that you should sell (stocks) in May. It is based on the notion that stocks perform better the 6 months leading up to May (November to April) than the 6 [...]

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Hardly Stressing

Well, the results of the stress tests were revealed this past week.  It turned out to be much ado about nothing.  In fact, most of the banking stocks went up on the news.  It does leave the question as to what the Obama Administration is really trying to accomplish through a process that didn’t make much [...]

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Out of the Office Today

Bob is out of the office today, but Monday May 11, 2009 he will cover in full detail the results of the stress test and the unemployment numbers.

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Big Stock Market Moves Often End Badly

The faster they go up…the harder they fall.  The price of oil was a good example of this last year.  The price of oil took off last year and fell just as hard.  When markets move quickly in either direction, the corresponding move can be intense.  So, it should be no surprise that we have [...]

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10 Trillion Reasons Why We Have A Problem

My friend Joe sends me disturbing articles from time to time.  This is the most disturbing one.  This is your Government at work destroying our country.  This is why we will never return back to normal.  This is why the stock market remains EXTREMELY risky.  Before you go to the chart, consider this:
Our Government has [...]

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Everything is not Always What it Seems!

Hello, my name is Bob Brooks, and I am a gloom and doomer. 
Well, sometimes I feel like I need to go to a 12 step group.  While everyone is popping the champagne bottles on Wall Street and the market puts in yet another strong day, I still stick to my guns about what is occurring.  [...]

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A Deeper Look into Stress Testing Reveals March towards Socialism

As the news and analysis continues to flow from this stress testing of the banking system, I become more and more disturbed.  The Government decided it would be a good idea to run a simulated stress test on 19 of the largest banks in the  United States.  They want to make sure that they banking [...]

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How Bad Could Swine Flu Get? What other risks are we not seeing?

I was talking to a buddy of mine in the money management business.  He was much more bullish shorter-term than me.  So, as usual, we debated the markets.  He said that he doesn’t see anything on the horizon that could be a big stumbling block.  My reply was it is the problem that you don’t [...]

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