| The Chart to Watch: Falling Transports Bill Luby submits: For the most part, last week saw some mild negative numbers in most of the major market indices. One particular index that is closely watched by many, however, was particularly hard hit. The Dow Jones Transportation Average ((DJTA)), an essential component of Dow Theory, fell 5.4% for the week and was particularly hard hit on Friday. Before the market opened on Friday, two of the three railroads in the DJTA reported earnings and while the bottom line numbers were impressive, investors were spooked by substantial revenue declines. Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNI) reported a quarterly revenue decline of 27% from the comparable quarter in 2008, while Union Pacific (UNP) reported a 24% drop in revenues for the same period. The weak revenue picture helped to push the DJTA to a loss of 3.5% on Friday and create what looks for now to be a provisional double top in the index in the chart of the week below.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Polaris Industries Inc. Q4 2009 Earnings Call Transcript Polaris Industries Inc. (PII)Q4 2009 Earnings Call January 28, 2010 10:00 p.m. ETComplete Story » seekingalpha.com |
As China Leads High Speed Rail, Challenge Is in the Price Tag John Addison submits:Clean Edge’s 2010 Clean Energy Trends forecasts growth for high-speed rail and renewables. Clean Edge included high-speed rail [HSR] for the first time in its annual Clean Energy Trends report, which tracks key developments in clean-energy markets. China is leading the surge in HSR according to Clean Edge:China’s Ministry of Railways spent $88 billion on HSR projects in 2009 – part of an existing $300 billion plan to expand and connect all of the country’s major cities with a projected 10,000 miles of dedicated HSR lines by 2020.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
LA Port Shipping Boom: Highest June on Record Mark J. Perry submits: I reported yesterday that international trade reached a 19-month in May, and today's report from the Port of Los Angeles provides additional statistical evidence of an ongoing boom in international trade activity. Shipping volume reached a 22-month high in June of 730,318 TEUs, the highest monthly shipping activity since August of 2008 (see chart above), and 32.38% above June last year. On a year-to-date basis, shipping activity at the LA Port is up by 15%. Other highlights include: •Strengthening of the overall trade environment. Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Why It's Getting Harder to Be a Clueless Consumer Rick Newman submits:The nanny state has been getting a few things right. American consumers hate being told what to do, and to prove it, we routinely make choices that are irrational and counterproductive. We make impulse purchases we can't afford. We build bigger houses than we need, chaining ourselves to an onerous mortgage for years. We drive rugged, four-wheel-drive vehicles even though we never leave the pavement. We buy Snuggies.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |