| U.S. Railroads Well Positioned for Upturn, Moody’s Says Research Recap submits: Railroads should pick up market share from trucking companies as economy improves. Moody’s appears to concur with major investor Warren Buffett’s long-term view of the US railroad industry (or is it the other way around?). On the heels of further reducing Berkshire Hathaway’s (BRK.A) holdings in the ratings agency, Buffet is making a huge bet on the railroad industry through Berkshire’s acquisition of Burlington Northern (BNI).Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Airbus Flies Past Boeing in 2009 Zacks.com submits: Boeing Company (BA) was summarily beaten by its traditional rival Airbus in fiscal 2009 in terms of commercial airplane delivery and order booking. Airbus delivered 498 airplanes in 2009 and recorded 271 net orders, compared to Boeing’s 481 commercial airplanes delivered and 142 net orders. Airbus estimates it won orders valued at a net $30.3 billion in fiscal 2009, or 54% of all worldwide orders for aircraft larger than 100 seats. Airbus has a backlog of 3,488 airplanes, valued at $437.1 billion, or six years worth of full production. In comparison Boeing has a backlog of 3,375 commercial airplane orders. Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Indicators Worth Watching: A Bold Prediction on the Baltic Dry Index Andrew Horowitz submits: Clearly there was a substantial shock to the markets when the SEC surprised all with a fraud charge against what many thought was the “untouchable” Goldman Sachs (GS). Whether this is going to be a catalyst that will change the sentiment or not will be tested over the next week or so. For now, earnings are coming in and companies have generally done well to contain costs and provide for nice beats as compared to expectations. The real wild card now (aside from Greece and other sovereign concerns) will be the Icelandic volcano eruptions. That is estimated to cost the airline industry upwards of $200 million per day that they are unable to fly due to the ash cloud that has spewed 25,000 feet into the atmosphere. (Surely global warming is to blame – wink). If the volcano does not rest for weeks, it could cause severe damage to many European economies.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
FedEx as an Economic Bellwether Market Blog submits: By David BermanWe’re told that FedEx Corp. (FDX) is a bellwether stock, a point that hits home whenever the global shipping company says anything that is out of line with our understanding of the global economy.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Is There an Echo in Here? Ian Wyatt submits: One of the first signs of a recovering economy is a pickup in the movement of goods and materials. With demand increasing, companies need to get products made and delivered, and put the machinery in motion for a blossoming of growth. This year, the slow, inconsistent global economic recovery has propelled the transportation industry forward in fits and starts - a bumpy road since the recession put a stranglehold on expansion a few years back.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |