November 2011 Retail Sales increased 0.2%. October retail sales were revised up a 10th of a percentage point to 0.6%. Retail sales are up 6.7% from the same time last year. Electronics and Appliance stores shot up another 2.1% in a month, and were 20% of the total increase in retail sales. Autos still rule the retail world and sales by dealers was over half the increase by dollars of retail sales for November, a 0.7% increase from October.
The American Dream. Ozzie & Harriet. The great American middle class. Folks, it's gone for most. A distant memory only perpetuated to sell toothpaste and car insurance.
The Q3 2011 Federal Reserve's flow of funds report is more bad news for Americans, plus holds some obscene statistics from corporate America. Household wealth dropped a record $2.4 trillion dollars in three months, 4.1%, and is down about 13% from 2007.
So says Buddy Roemer. Who is Buddy Roemer? He's the Republican presidential candidate getting a 100%, complete media black out and is denied a seat in the GOP Presidential debates. Why? Probably because he's challenging the bought and paid for pre-ordained corporate select fest called elections.
The October 2011 U.S. trade deficit decreased $704 million to $43.48 billion. This is -1.59% drop from last month in the trade deficit. Septembers's trade deficit was revised up from $43.11 billion to $44.17 billion, a $1.06 billion increase.
Ex Goldman Sachs, Ex Governor, Ex Senator Jon Corzine testified before Congress on the MF Global bankruptcy.
The keywords, intent, I don't know, as I recall, I believe, are classic legalize to make sure one is not brought up later on perjury charges or lying to Congress.
Like a bad mini-series, the European non-events events just keep rolling on in. Here are the latest ones.
From the Financial Times, leaders failed to create a new treaty.
Leaders of the European Union’s 27 countries failed to agree to change the EU’s treaties in order to implement tighter fiscal rules and instead chose to create a new intergovernmental treaty which will likely have less teeth and be negotiated only among 23 of the bloc’s members.
Despite the division – which will leave Britain and Hungary out of the new pact, with the Czech Republic and Sweden still weighing participation – Mario Draghi, the European Central Bank president, signalled his approval, a key vote of confidence that could allow the ECB to move more aggressively in eurozone bond markets.
"This is a summit that will go down in history," said Sarkozy. "We would have preferred a reform of the treaties among 27. That wasn't possible given the position of our British friends. And so it will be through an intergovernmental treaty of 17, but open to others."
Initial weekly unemployment claims for the week ending on December 3rd, 2011 were 381,000. The DOL reports this as a decrease of 23,000 from last week. The previous week was revised, from 402,000 to 404,000, an increase of 2,000. Initial unemployment claims are breaking the magic 400,000 number and this week makes a 10 month low.
Welcome to the weekly roundup of great articles, facts and figures. These are the weekly finds that made our eyes pop.
Like a bad mini-series, the European non-events events just keep rolling on in. Here are the latest ones.
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