Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from October, 2013

US Market Update

Stocks closed lower, Tuesday, finishing near their lows for the session and snapping a four-day winning streak as Congress continues to wrangle over terms to extend the nation's borrowing authority and end the partial government shutdown. House Republicans were reportedly planning a vote late Tuesday evening, although it was far from certain the measure had sufficient support to win passage. Senate leadership also has been working on compromise legislation, although that measure apparently has been on hold until a House deal emerges.  Earnings Distraction A fresh slate of financial results helped provide a much-needed distraction to the fiscal discord in Washington. Citigroup ( C ) ended lower Tuesday after posting earnings and revenue lagging both year-ago comparisons and analyst projections. Johnson & Johnson ( JNJ ) close slightly higher after beating consensus opinion with its latest EPS and sales. The healthcare conglomerate also increased its FY13 guidance.  Economic dat

August IIP comes in at paltry 0.6% Vs 2.8% in July

The industrial output data for the month of August came in at a lower-than-expected 0.6 percent versus 2.8 percent in July. A CNBC-TV18 poll had pegged the number at 2.5 percent. The July IIP data was revised to 2.8 percent against 2.6 percent earlier. The manufacturing sector witnessed a contraction of 0.1 percent versus a growth of 3 percent in July. Consumer goods sector also witnessed negative growth of 0.8 percent. Capital goods sector also contracted at (-)2 percent versus 15.6 percent in July. While the basic goods production grew at 1.5 percent versus 1.7 percent in July, the electricity sector production grew at 7.2 percent versus 5.2 percent in July.  The non-durable goods growth was reported at 5 percent versus 6.8 percent in July. PMEAC chairman C Rangarajan said the data is certainly disappointing. However, he expects an improvement in the data as the year progresses. “I am really hoping for a better performance in the second half. Going ahead, I think we

10 things you wanted to know about the US debt ceiling

1) What is US government shutdown? A government shutdown in US basically implies that that the government will stop providing funding for all but essential services. This situation usually arises when the President, the Senate and the House are unable to agree on a budget that is important for the functioning of the government. 2) Has this happened before? The last shutdowns occurred during the budget battle between the Republican-controlled Congress and President Bill Clinton in late 1995. Much of the federal government was closed for five days in November 1995 and then from mid-December 1995 to early January 1996. 3) When is the deadline? There are two deadlines. First is October 1 which is a new budget year in the US and requires Congress to pass a spending bill to allow agencies to stay open. Second one is October 17 which requires Congress to increase the government's $16.7-trillion debt ceiling to avoid a first-ever default on its payments. 4) What is

US Government Shutdown Begins as Deadlocked Congress Flails

The U.S. government began its first partial shutdown in 17 years, idling as many as 800,000 federal employees, closing national parks and halting some services after Congress failed to break a partisan deadlock by a midnight deadline. Congressional leaders have scheduled no further negotiations on spending legislation, raising concern s among some lawmakers that the shutdown could bleed into the more consequential fight over how to raise the U.S. debt limit to avoid a first-ever default after Oct. 17. Enlarge image Government Shutdown Begins as Congress Divides on Spending A U.S. Park Ranger and a U.S. Park Policeman close the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington on October 1, 2013. Photographer: Shawn Thew/EPA Parks, Museums Shuttered as Shutdown Begins 1:17 Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. government began its first partial shutdown in 17 years, idling as many as 800,000 federal employees, closing national parks and museums, and halting some services aft