Jobless claims down 23,000 to 403,000 filings last week - Less Than Expected

[mEDITate-OR:
wonder why last weeks numbers were revised up
making this weeks numbers look larger.
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Note that the 2nd article is another of Zacks very good and thorough analysis of these new numbers.
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Unemployment claims drop by 13,000 from last week
Unemployment claims continue on a significant declining trend, with initial and continued claims declining. In all, about 4 million people are receiving unemployment benefits.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Paper-Economy/2011/0421/Unemployment-claims-drop-by-13-000-from-last-week
=============
Initial Claims Fall Less Than Expected
http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/51715/Initial+Claims+Fall+Less+Than+Expected?adid=
===============

Mortgage Rates Fall; 30-Year Fixed at 4.8% + But rates below 5% have done little to help a struggling housing market

[mEDITate-OR:
wonder why we all don't refi at these wonderfully low rates...
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Rate on 30-year fixed mortgage falls to 4.80%
But rates below 5% have done little to help a struggling housing market
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38770102/ns/business-eye_on_the_economy/
==============

Just How Stupid Are We? + Taxes reach historic low

[mEDITate-OR:
Not notice that:
"A funny thing happened on the way to the TEA Party anti-tax rallies across the country. "
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Just How Stupid Are We?
http://obrag.org/?p=36568
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Taxes reach historic low
http://www.ocregister.com/news/-117079-ocprint--.html
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The Infinite Insanity of the Debt Ceiling

[mEDITate-OR:
say what Max did to Agent 99
"But, we told you not to tell U.S.!!!"
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Do NOT tell U.S. what is true...
only what "The People" think is true...
- that is the only reality.
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The Infinite Insanity of the Debt Ceiling
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/04/the-infinite-insanity-of-the-debt-ceiling/237682/
========

Stingy megabanks swimming in cash - If the megabanks are so big on lending, why do their loan books keep shrinking? = Quarterly mortgage originations down one-third at big four banks

[mEDITate-OR:
sink or swim..., all alone...
surrounded by sharks.
----------
These are two interesting similar articles.
What they are telling U.S. is that the Big Bad Banksters took W's money and hid it under their books.
They are not making small business loans, they are not making home loans, they are not expanding anyone's line of credit and they are not even doing what they say to U.S. that they are doing.
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============
Quarterly mortgage originations down one-third at big four banks
http://www.housingwire.com/2011/04/21/quarterly-mortgage-originations-down-one-third-at-big-four-banks
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Stingy megabanks swimming in cash
If the megabanks are so big on lending, why do their loan books keep shrinking?
http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/04/21/stingy-megabanks-swimming-in-cash/
===========

Dollar Plunges as US Rate Outlook Spurs Bid for Yield + Oil rallies $3 a barrel = above $124 on weak dollar, U.S. stockpile drop + Crude Oil Advances a Third Day on Improving Outlook for Global Fuel Demand

[mEDITate-OR:
find crude what is happening to your vacation plans...
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there is an almost perfect negative correlation between the falling dollar and oil prices

—minus-0.9 to be exact.

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The euro hit a 15-month high above $1.45

the Canadian and Australian dollars to multi-year peaks. 

hitting two-year lows against the Brazilian real and Mexican peso.

China also allowed the yuan to touch a record high =

up 1 percent against the dollar this year and 4.5 percent since mid-2010

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Dollar Plunges as US Rate Outlook Spurs Bid for Yield
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/21/us-markets-oil-idUSTRE72D01W20110421
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$6 gas? Could happen if dollar keeps getting weaker.
Under the right conditions, gas could cost as much as $6 per gallon by the summertime
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2011/0420/6-gas-Could-happen-if-dollar-keeps-getting-weaker
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Crude Oil Advances a Third Day on Improving Outlook for Global Fuel Demand
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-20/crude-oil-trades-near-an-eight-day-high-after-equities-rise-dollar-falls.html
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Brent rises above $124 on weak dollar, U.S. stockpile drop
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/21/us-markets-oil-idUSTRE72D01W20110421
============

Dollar hits 15-month low against euro = Flight from U.S. dollar + Dollar Getting Hammered, Aussie and Canadian Buck Jumping

[mEDITate-OR:
not see that you might want to stay down on the farm...
bucz you cain't afford to go see Paris...
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Dollar hits 15-month low against euro
http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/20/markets/dollar_euro/index.htm?eref=mrss_igoogle_business
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Flight from U.S. dollar
http://business.financialpost.com/2011/04/20/flight-from-u-s-dollar/
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Dollar Getting Hammered, Aussie and Canadian Buck Jumping
http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/04/20/dollar-getting-hammered-aussie-and-canadian-buck-jumping/
============

CPI: Core Inflation remained subdued in March, despite a 0.5% rise in headline rate = Energy Drives Prices Higher In March

[mEDITate-OR:

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Core Inflation remained subdued in March
despite a 0.5% rise in headline rate
http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews/article_1022104.shtml
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Energy Drives Prices Higher In March
But Core Inflation Contained
http://www.rttnews.com/Content/AllEconomicNews.aspx?Node=B2&Id=1598977
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Consumer Price Index rises again in March
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=184974
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CPI Inflation Report And A 25-Year Perspective
http://www.dailymarkets.com/economy/2011/04/15/cpi-inflation-report-and-a-25-year-perspective/
=========

PPI: March wholesale price increases ease, but no long-term reprieve in sight + Rise Less Than Expected Amid Lower Food Costs

[mEDITate-OR:
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U.S. Producer Prices Rise Less Than Expected Amid Lower Food Costs
http://www.rttnews.com/Content/USEconomicNews.aspx?Id=1598138&SM=1
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March wholesale price increases ease, but no long-term reprieve in sight
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=184895
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Conspicuous Correlation: Retail Sales March 2011

[mEDITate-OR:
assume that what they tell U.S. you see is what you should see...
---------------
In the post below, you will see the usual "retail sales" type of reports, amplified by some of the better analyses. What Sold on Top provided U.S. this month is a stunning new, very different view.
And, Sold's exceptional explanations.
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Discretionary retail sales including home furnishings, home garden and building materials, consumer electronics and department store sales increased a notable 1.51% from February climbing 1.98% above the level seen in March 2010 while, adjusting for inflation, “real” discretionary retail sales actually declined 0.71% over the same period.

On a “nominal” basis, there had appeared to be “rough correlation” between strong home value appreciation and strong retail spending preceding the housing bust and an even stronger correlation when home values started to decline.
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The following chart shows the year-over-year change to nominal discretionary retail sales and the year-over-year change to nominal the S&P/Case-Shiller Composite home price index since 1993 and since 2000.

As you can see there is, at the very least, a coincidental change to home values and consumer spending during the boom and then the bust, but as home values have continued to decline, retail spending has remained low but has not continued to consistently contract.

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the “rough correlation” between the year-over-year change to the “discretionary” retail sales series and the year-over-year S&P/Case-Shiller Composite series seems now even more significant.

===========
Conspicuous Correlation: Retail Sales March 2011
http://paper-money.blogspot.com/2011/04/conspicuous-correlation-retail-sales.html
==============

Retail Sales in Mar - Gasoline and Food Drive Up + Conspicuous Correlation: Retail Sales March 2011

[mEDITate-OR:
confuse apples with oranges...
and all retail sales with some retail sales...
---------
What almost all media reports do not do is separate fuel from other retail sales. However, as you will see below both Danial@Atlantic and Bill@CR do that for U.S.
What Daniel and oddly FinnFacts also do is provide U.S. with sector data.
This is important.
Notice the HUGE change in "auto sales" in the chart and the 4th chart.
Not only are auto sales up, a lot, since last year...
but they dropped like a rock last month.
Due to the price of gas, do you think?
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In the post below, you will also see that most of the increase in consumer credit use is based upon "auto and truck sales".
So, while it WAS driving the economy - no pun intended...
it might have just stopped, @ the light behind the sign for your gas prices.
Where are we really heading..., and how are we going to get there
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Retail Sales in Mar - Gasoline and Food Drive Up
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/04/gasoline-and-food-drive-up-retail-sales-in-march/237242/
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US retail sales increased of 0.4% in March
http://www.finfacts.ie/irishfinancenews/article_1022077.shtml
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Retail Sales increased 0.4% in March
http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2011/04/retail-sales-increased-04-in-march.html
=========

RealtyTrac: Foreclosure Activity Decreases 15 Percent in Q1 2011 + Processing Delays Drop Foreclosure Activity to Lowest Total Since Q1 2008

[mEDITate-OR:
think that "location" is where you are..., not where you are going
-------------
This month RealtyTrac has provided U.S. with a very interesting view of the dynamics of the foreclosure problem. While it is true that foreclosures are down, what RT tells U.S. is that is only due to the robo-signing problems delaying the "incoming" properties.
What we are also seeing is that the problem is spreading out, in the West to Idaho, Utah, Colorado and to a slightly less extend to Washington and Oregon.
--------
Below are the interesting maps of AZ, WA and OR.
Note that Penal County includes huge subdivisions South East of Phoenix AND Tucson.
Note also that "The problem with foreclosures" is much worse where there are more people.
But, the most central part of the metro areas are also not as bad as the surrounding suburbs.
That may be bcuz central condo numbers are NOT included in these stats n maps - maybe!
--------
Go to the RealtyTrac news release and look at the national state and city tables.
You will see that the West Coast and the Rocky Mountain states are MUCH worse off than most of the rest of U.S.
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High  Low
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With one in every 48 housing units with a foreclosure filing, the Phoenix metro area ranked No. 4 and was one of two Arizona metro areas in the top 20.
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RealtyTrac: Foreclosure Activity Decreases 15 Percent in Q1 2011
Processing Delays Drop Foreclosure Activity to Lowest Total Since Q1 2008
http://www.realtytrac.com/content/press-releases/foreclosure-activity-decreases-15-percent-in-q1-2011-6521
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Expert: U.S. should 'give up on the dollar'

[mEDITate-OR:
pretend that since the DOW is way up...
we are all much more wealthy than we were..., once upon a time.
and ignore the price of gasoline and food
--------
If you read the CNN article, you will notice that while the EURO has been attacked from within by problems of  the PIIGS, not only this year, but for the past 12 months, the EURO has increased in value against U.S.
What is also shown below is that both the Canadian and Australian dollars have also risen, substantially, against U.S.
What you will also see below is that ALL of the gains you made in the DOW and the SnP500, were matched by the decline in the worth of the U.S. dollar.
What SHOULD surprise you is that Germany, Canada, Australia have ALL maintained surpluses in their balance of trade AND increased their exports - in spite of the increased value of their dollars.
THEY are competitive. We are not. Ask yourself Why?
Bcuz of the Japanese nuclear power problems, Germany and China are reducing their plans for further expansion; and they have announced they will need to increase their use of crude oil.
Bcuz of the miss-handling of the Libyan crisis, the price of gas has, and WILL, continue to increase.
Not only did the last tax cut given to you by the Federal Govt get eaten up by increased fuel cost, but as those costs continue to increase, you will have to shift your money around to cover it, without tax refunds.
It could get a lot uglier. Soon.
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=========   SnP 500

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Expert: U.S. should 'give up on the dollar'

http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/15/markets/dollar/index.htm

==========

How Bleak Does the U.S. Job Market Look?

[mEDITate-OR:
be wowed by the announced huge increase in job openings...
OR
read Daniel@Atlantic's thoughts, look at his chart
and read his article.
--------
The yellow line represents the number of Americans "officially" unemployed, according to BLS. But the red line shows those jobless Americans plus number of people who BLS says want a job, but don't technically qualified as being unemployed, due to reasons such as discouragement. While the gap between the yellow line and green line (openings) looks bad, if you consider the red line, it looks much worse. In February, 6.5 people wanted a job for every opening.
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How Bleak Does the U.S. Job Market Look?
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/04/how-bleak-does-the-us-job-market-look/237252/
=====================