Joshua M Brown

S&P: The Consumer is Coming Back, But Don't Expect Fireworks

The chart above demonstrates how consumer spending typically lags GDP.  One of the most gruesome features of our recent downturn has been the sheer depth of the unemployment crisis and how that has led to higher savings rates, leading to the need for businesses to lay off even more employees. Standard & Poors economists David…

Large Cap Airlines Today's Big Winners Thanks To Oil Weakness

No one likes cheaper oil more than the airline stocks.  I hate these names, never invest in them and I don’t even trade ’em.  That said, they were the biggest winners on the day thanks to the weakness in crude oil. Check it on the 5 day chart: Congrats to those who played them.  The…

Lunch Links: JPMorgan's 2010 Target & Obama's Big Sellout

ALERT: Rolling Stone has actually published a negative article on Obama!  Taibbi‘s takedown (Obama’s Big Sellout) is the big story of the day.  (RollingStone) JPMorgan‘s S&P 500 target and outlook for 2010.  (MarketBeat) Takeaways from Fortune’s stock roundtable, with Ritholtz, Trennert etc.  (FundMyMutualFund) Brazil stocks on fire, 18 month high today.  (Bloomberg) There almost wasn’t…

November Retail Sales Up On Gasoline, Autos Not a Factor

Real quick, looks like we have a gain over October and a better-than-expected number overall for November Retail Sales.  And the “clunkers” were irrelevant… From CNNMoney: Retail sales jumped 1.3% in November, according to the Commerce Department, well more than the expected increase. Economists had expected retail sales to rise 0.6% from October, according to…