INSIGHTS
SEP
2
WEEK AHEAD...
As any follower of this column knows, we don’t really take hard line political stands very often. We tend to favor the moderate approach and give the powers that be, some latitude. “It’s not an easy job, we wouldn’t want to do it”, is our motto. We aren’t afraid to take those powers to task but we always remember that motto. The President has to make decisions that affect countless lives and depending on what network you watch, he is either a fool, a spineless huckster or the savior our country has needed for over a decade. As a very, wise man once told us, “Don’t argue politics, religion or sex”.
The action or inaction on Syria has got us rethinking that policy just a little. The President is starting to look a little foolish with his comments, and threats towards Syria and it does not make the US look very good in a lot of people’s eyes. Mixed messages from a President of the United States is just not acceptable on the World stage. We are a major player on that stage and our President is our representative. If the President feels strongly about a policy and carries it out then so be it. He might be right or wrong, sometimes it just doesn’t matter, a decision was made and he follows through with it.
Backpedaling on something so serious makes him look foolish, and indecisive and as the World balance of power is going through a transition, we don’t need indecision.
We don’t really know what the right course of action should be we just know that our President needed to make that decision and go with it. Let the World judge him after. Unfortunately, he is being judged now.
Waiting for Congress to reconvene and then have a discussion and have party lines drawn will just show the World what a dysfunctional place Washington DC is.
The Geopolitical back and forth kept everyone’s attention and the markets reacted like they should, at first, and then treaded water while waiting some decisive clue as to what was going on. The markets never got it.
The word out of Washington is that there won’t be any action on Syria for at least eight days. Whatever the goal was will be a moot point by then and this will end up not being one of our finest hours. Doing the right thing three weeks later sort of misses the point.
We will refocus on the economy, the Fed, and those wizards inside the Beltway. That’s where the action will be and our faith in Mr. Bernanke and his group still is strong but as for the rest, well you already know how we feel.
August ended down around 4% and we still think that there is a little more room on the downside from here. Generally, based on several factors we see a little more of a pullback, maybe another 4 to 5% and then we baseline it and rally from there.
Employment is still getting a little better, slowly, but it is. Earnings are starting to rise, slowly, but they are. Consumer confidence is still strong. And all that corporate money on the sidelines, looking for somewhere to go.
Short week but still a couple of interesting numbers to digest. ISM Mfg. Index, Car Sales and the Unemployment situation on Friday.
It will be a little less volatile and there might be snippets coming out from some Fed Governors that will feed the rumor mill.
The Stretch run to the end of the year officially begins on September 9th and that’s where we can finish off what’s been a very good year on an even better note.
The action or inaction on Syria has got us rethinking that policy just a little. The President is starting to look a little foolish with his comments, and threats towards Syria and it does not make the US look very good in a lot of people’s eyes. Mixed messages from a President of the United States is just not acceptable on the World stage. We are a major player on that stage and our President is our representative. If the President feels strongly about a policy and carries it out then so be it. He might be right or wrong, sometimes it just doesn’t matter, a decision was made and he follows through with it.
Backpedaling on something so serious makes him look foolish, and indecisive and as the World balance of power is going through a transition, we don’t need indecision.
We don’t really know what the right course of action should be we just know that our President needed to make that decision and go with it. Let the World judge him after. Unfortunately, he is being judged now.
Waiting for Congress to reconvene and then have a discussion and have party lines drawn will just show the World what a dysfunctional place Washington DC is.
The Geopolitical back and forth kept everyone’s attention and the markets reacted like they should, at first, and then treaded water while waiting some decisive clue as to what was going on. The markets never got it.
The word out of Washington is that there won’t be any action on Syria for at least eight days. Whatever the goal was will be a moot point by then and this will end up not being one of our finest hours. Doing the right thing three weeks later sort of misses the point.
We will refocus on the economy, the Fed, and those wizards inside the Beltway. That’s where the action will be and our faith in Mr. Bernanke and his group still is strong but as for the rest, well you already know how we feel.
August ended down around 4% and we still think that there is a little more room on the downside from here. Generally, based on several factors we see a little more of a pullback, maybe another 4 to 5% and then we baseline it and rally from there.
Employment is still getting a little better, slowly, but it is. Earnings are starting to rise, slowly, but they are. Consumer confidence is still strong. And all that corporate money on the sidelines, looking for somewhere to go.
Short week but still a couple of interesting numbers to digest. ISM Mfg. Index, Car Sales and the Unemployment situation on Friday.
It will be a little less volatile and there might be snippets coming out from some Fed Governors that will feed the rumor mill.
The Stretch run to the end of the year officially begins on September 9th and that’s where we can finish off what’s been a very good year on an even better note.