General Economic Conditions

Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed, Then one day he was shootin at some food, And up through the ground came a bubblin crude. Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea. For those not familiar with the Beverly Hillbillies, a 1960's TV series starring Jed Clampett, the… read more →

  Over the past few years, much has been written on the impact of the internet and social networking websites as a medium for business development and their impact on the globalization of the world economies. Interestingly, the social media sites have been highlighted for their role in geopolitical developments in the Middle East. As a sign of the times,… read more →

First the good news...Corporate earnings have been good to great and manufacturing output remains healthy; The PMI has remained well north of 50, reflective of an expansionary manufacturing economy, for 18 consecutive months through January 2011. In fact the PMI hit 61 in January, its highest level since May 2004. Our portfolio, being largely manufacturing centric, is experiencing stronger revenues… read more →

The Chinese proverb “may you live in interesting times” has been particularly true during the past few years. Harken back to November, 2007 and the DJIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average) which peaked the prior month began its precipitous 50% decline and by November 2008, the world economy was on the brink of collapse. This November as we prepare for the… read more →

  As I struggled with insomnia a few weeks ago, sweating out where the economy was headed, the new carried interest tax proposals, and the Dodd-Frank (aka Fin-Reg) bill, I dreamt I heard Barney Frank's voice quip “Fannie May and Freddie Mac are not in a financial crisis…..The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these… read more →