All 3 Majors Advanced On The Week

All 3 major indexes advanced on the week, helped in part by an encouraging report on retail sales. The price on a barrel of crude oil for future delivery closed at $83.69 while the dollar got weaker against the euro.

1,099,772,770 shares were traded @ The New York Stock Exchange® today.

For the week, the DJIA gained 27.07 points (+0.192%), the NASDAQ Composite Index added 25.36 points (+0.912%), and the S and P 500 Index gained 4.21 points (+0.27%).

Summary of The U.S. Markets for Today:

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DJIA: Closed @ 14,093.08 (+77.96)

NASDAQ: Closed @ 2,805.68 (+33.48)

S and P 500: Closed @ 1,561.80 (+7.39)

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NYMEX Crude Oil Future closed @ $83.69/barrel

NY Spot Gold closed @ $748.10/ounce

In New York, The U.S. Dollar buys 0.7053 Euros

In New York, The Euro buys 1.4178 U.S. Dollars

The Federal Funds Target Rate is 4.75%

10-Year Treasury Note Yield is currently @ 4.687%

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Producer Price Index (PPI) for September, 2007

The Producer Price Index (PPI) for September, 2007 was released this morning:

Predicted: +0.4%
Actual: +1.1%

Below is the PPI when food and energy are subtracted from the equation, also known as the "core PPI":

Predicted: +0.2%
Actual: +0.1%

The above numbers represent the month-to-month change in prices for a specific group of goods and capital equipment that producers buy in order to produce finished goods for consumers. The PPI is an important part of the overall inflation picture for the country because when costs go up for producers, producers will often pass those increased costs on to consumers.

The PPI is released by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

The PPI is a family or amalgamation of indexes, including The:

• All Commodities Index
• Crude Energy Materials Index
• Crude Foodstuffs & Feedstuffs Index
• Crude Materials for Further Processing Index
• Finished Goods Index
  
• Finished Consumer Foods Index
• Finished Consumer Goods Index
• Finished Consumer Goods Excluding Foods Index
• Finished Energy Goods Index
• Finished Goods: Capital Equipment Index
• Finished Goods Excluding Foods Index
• Finished Goods Less Energy Index
• Finished Goods Less Food & Energy Index
• Fuels & Related Products & Power Index
• Industrial Commodities Index
• Intermediate Energy Goods Index
• Intermediate Foods & Feeds Index
  
• Intermediate Materials: Supplies & Components Index
  

Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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U.S. Retail & Food Services Sales Report for September, 2007

The Commerce Department this morning released advanced estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services Sales for September, 2007:

Predicted: +0.3%
Actual: +0.6%

Minus Auto Sales
Predicted: +0.3%
Actual : +0.4%


The above percentages represent the month-to-month change in total sales receipts for retailers that sell durable & non-durable goods, and retailers that provide food & beverage services.

Change since last year: +5.0%.

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full report.

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Crude Oil Inventories Report for Week of October 5, 2007

The U.S. Crude Oil Inventories report for the week that ended on October 5, 2007 was released this morning:

Weekly Change: -1,700,000 Barrels

Yearly Change: -10,400,000 Barrels

Current U.S. Crude Oil Stocks: 320,100,000 Barrels

Diminishing crude oil inventories can translate to higher crude oil prices (and vice versa), but not always.

The report is produced by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Click here for a more detailed summary of The Week in Petroleum.

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U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes for September, 2007

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning released the price indexes for U.S. imports and exports for September, 2007 :

Import Prices
Predicted: +0.8
Actual: +1.0%

Export Prices
Actual: +0.3%

The above percentages represent the month-to-month change in prices for

• Imports: the cost of goods produced in other countries and sold in the U.S.
  
  
• Exports: the cost of goods produced in the U.S. and sold in other countries.
  

Together, these indexes offer insight into the status of inflation in the United States, and for the global economy as well. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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Treasury Budget for September, 2007

The U.S. Treasury Budget monthly account for September, 2007 was released today:

Actual: +$111,600,000,000

The "actual" figure above represents the monthly balance on the U.S. federal government's "books" and is compiled by The Treasury Department. A positive number represents a surplus, while a negative represents a deficit.

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

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New Unemployment Insurance Claims for The Week of October 6, 2007

Earlier today, the Labor Department released the New Unemployment Insurance Claims report for the week that ended on October 6, 2007:

Predicted: 315,000
Actual: 308,000

The above figures represent the number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits for the entire United States. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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International Trade Balance Level for August, 2007

The International Trade Balance Level for August, 2007 was released by The U.S. Commerce Department this morning:

Predicted: $ -59,800,000,000
Actual: $ -57,600,000,000

The "actual" figure above represents the balance of trade -- imports vs. exports -- between the United States and all other countries, and includes both goods and services. A negative number represents a trade deficit, while a positive number represents a trade surplus.

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full Commerce Department report (PDF).

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Redbook Numbers for The Week of October 6, 2007

The Redbook numbers for the week that ended on October 6, 2007 were released this morning:

Redbook Sales Figures: +1.8%

The Redbook measures the weekly sales at chain stores, discount stores, and department stores -- about 9,000 stores in total -- and is therefore an important measure of current consumer spending in the U.S. The above figure represents the year-to-year change in the Redbook sales figures, so sales are up by 1.8% when compared to sales during the corresponding week back in October of 2006.

The weekly Johnson Redbook Index report is produced by Redbook Research.

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All 3 Majors Advanced On A Positive Jobs Report

All 3 major indexes advanced on the week: investors reacted bullishly to this morning's jobs report, as the encouraging numbers could mean that the U.S. economy isn't headed for a recession. The price on a barrel of crude oil for future delivery eased, but remained above the $81 mark.

1,258,787,720 shares were traded @ The New York Stock Exchange® today.

For the week, the DJIA gained 170.38 points (+1.226%), the NASDAQ Composite Index added 78.82 points (+2.918%), and the S and P 500 Index gained 30.84 points (+2.02%).

Summary of The U.S. Markets for Today:

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DJIA: Closed @ 14,066.01 (+91.70)

NASDAQ: Closed @ 2,780.32 (+46.75)

S and P 500: Closed @ 1,557.59 (+14.75)

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NYMEX Crude Oil Future closed @ $81.22/barrel

NY Spot Gold closed @ $741.30/ounce

In New York, The U.S. Dollar buys 0.7075 Euros

In New York, The Euro buys 1.4134 U.S. Dollars

The Federal Funds Target Rate is 4.75%

10-Year Treasury Note Yield is currently @ 4.64%

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Consumer Credit Status Report for August, 2007 Released Today

The Consumer Credit status report for August, 2007 was released by the Fed earlier this afternoon:

Actual: +$12,200,000,000 (+5.9%)

The above figures represent the seasonally adjusted, month-to-month change in total outstanding, installment-based consumer credit; includes car loans and credit cards, but does not include real estate-secured loans, like mortgages.

Total Outstanding Consumer Debt in August: $2,471,800,000,000

Click here to view the full Federal Reserve report.

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Employment Situation Report for September, 2007

The Employment Situation report for September, 2007 was released by The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning:

Average Hourly Earnings (month-to-month change)
Predicted: +0.3%
Actual: +0.4%


Non-farm Payrolls (month-to-month change)
Predicted: +115K
Actual: +110K


Average Workweek
Predicted: 33.8 hrs
Actual: 33.8 hrs


Unemployment Rate
Predicted: 4.7%
Actual: 4.7%

Economist, academics, central bankers and investors pay very close attention to the monthly Employment Situation report as it offers penetrating insight as to the current and near-future state of the overall U.S. economy. If a) Americans are earning more money, b) unemployment is low and c) the economy is creating new jobs, this typically translates to more money being pumped into the economy (and vice versa.)

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full Department of Labor report.

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U.S. Factory Orders Report for August, 2007

The U.S. Census Bureau this morning released their report on manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories & Orders -- also known as Factory Orders -- for August, 2007:

Predicted: -2.8%
Actual: -3.3%

The above percentages represent the month-to-month change in orders for both durable and nondurable goods made by from U.S. manufacturers. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full Census Bureau report.

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New Unemployment Insurance Claims for The Week of September 29, 2007

Earlier today, the Labor Department released the New Unemployment Insurance Claims report for the week that ended on September 29, 2007:

Predicted: 310,000
Actual: 317,000

The above figures represent the number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits for the entire United States. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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Crude Oil Inventories Report for Week of September 28, 2007

The U.S. Crude Oil Inventories report for the week that ended on September 28, 2007 was released this morning:

Weekly Change: +1,200,000 Barrels

Yearly Change: -6,300,000 Barrels

Current U.S. Crude Oil Stocks: 321,800,000 Barrels

Diminishing crude oil inventories can translate to higher crude oil prices (and vice versa), but not always.

The report is produced by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Click here for a more detailed summary of The Week in Petroleum.

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Challenger Report on Corporate Layoffs for September, 2007

Earlier today, the outplacement company Challenger released their report on corporate layoffs for September, 2007:

U.S. Job Cuts Announced during September, 2007: 71,739

When the corporate layoff numbers are high, consumer spending may decline, since there are less people with steady jobs.

When corporate layoffs are low, this can mean that the job market is relatively tight, which can be a harbinger of wage inflation.

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U.S. Motor Vehicle Sales Report for September, 2007

The Domestic Motor Vehicle Sales report for September, 2007 was released this afternoon:

Predicted: 12,400,000
Actual: 12,400,000

The above figures represent unit sales of American-made cars, minivans, SUV's and light trucks. The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

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Redbook Numbers for The Week of September 29, 2007

The Redbook numbers for the week that ended on September 29, 2007 were released this morning:

Redbook Sales Figures: +1.5%

The Redbook measures the weekly sales at chain stores, discount stores, and department stores -- about 9,000 stores in total -- and is therefore an important measure of current consumer spending in the U.S. The above figure represents the year-to-year change in the Redbook sales figures, so sales are up by 1.5% when compared to sales during the corresponding week back in September of 2006.

The weekly Johnson Redbook Index report is produced by Redbook Research.

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ISM Manufacturing Index for September, 2007

Earlier today, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) released their Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) for September, 2007:

Predicted: 52.9%
Actual: 52.0%

Every month, the ISM surveys purchasing and supply executives at hundreds of companies across the country that are involved in manufacturing in some form. The resulting index is watched closely by academics, economists and investors because manufacturing accounts for 12% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The PMI is a reliable barometer of U.S. manufacturing: when the PMI is above 50%, U.S. manufacturing is expanding; when it's below 50%, the manufacturing sector is contracting.

The "predicted" figure is what economists and Wall Street forecasters were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

Last month, the PMI was 52.9.

Click here to view the complete ISM report.

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All 3 Majors Advanced On The Week

All 3 major indices advanced on the week as the price on a barrel of crude oil for future delivery crept upward and the dollar continued to lose ground against the euro.

1,345,442,350 shares were traded @ The New York Stock Exchange® today.

For the week, the DJIA gained 75.44 points (+0.546%), the NASDAQ Composite Index added 30.28 points (+1.134%), and the S and P 500 Index gained 1.00 point (+0.066%).

Summary of The U.S. Markets for Today:

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DJIA: Closed @ 13,895.63 (-17.31)

NASDAQ: Closed @ 2,701.50 (-8.09)

S and P 500: Closed @ 1,526.75 (-4.63)

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NYMEX Crude Oil Future closed @ $81.66/barrel

NY Spot Gold closed @ $743.10/ounce

In New York, The U.S. Dollar buys 0.7009 Euros

In New York, The Euro buys 1.4268 U.S. Dollars

The Federal Funds Target Rate is 4.75%

Ten-Year Treasury Note Yield is currently @ 4.579%

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