The Good News Economist

Five Things That Could Resuscitate the Markets

Always enjoy your writing Rick,

Today I particularly resonate with your observation that:

>If we could get through a week without disturbing news from market-movers
>[snip]... smaller signs of recovery might get more attention.

No doubt some of the signs you list like the significant surges for AMZN and WMRT, along with a large initial claims drop, strong chain store reports for Feb, ISM numbers corresponding to much better GDP numbers, have been reported this week, but nowhere close to the spotlight...

The B indeed is closer... and one has to bet at this point that any one of your first 4 points will help to better define that B.

Thanks
GNE
goodnewseconomist.com

Running Strong Again: The Four Horsemen of Technology

Totally agree Bill... and enjoyed the four horsemen analogy.

In fact your chart looks quite like the one here:
mast-economy.blogspot....

The trio of AAPL, IBM, and INTC posted a combined earnings of $6.2B in Q4.

Additionally, Amazon had it's best Christmas ever and Google with PPC ads is still rocking.

Next Jan, we'll look back on this earnings season (from our Blackberry's of course) and note the clear beginnings of the seperation of the wheat from the chaff...

GNE

Amazon Sales Up While Most Retailers Suffer

Yet one more indicator that as this retail dip subsides, the Giants like Wal-mart who are taking a beating today, we'll continue to get beat at their own discount game until they fully understand the amazon ploy.

As we saw yesterday in the Geezeo post, even the traditional discount retailers get it during this downswing.

The giant is failing... there are some new kids on the blog ready to rumble.

Okay let's see, job losses are down now for six weeks straight (including the 4-week moving average and the report out today)
mast-economy.blogspot....
AND
Discount retailers (with the exception of the Titanic) are thriving during the Christmas season....
If you lose your job at Wal-mart, it's pretty clear to me you'll get a better one somewhere else...

The Problem of Media Economics: Value Equations Have Radically Changed

Scott,

Great examples. This re-arranging of the value chain in media represents a huge opportunity for those entrepreneurs willing to invest the time to understand and business sense to monetize their understanding.

For those new businesses and business folk that get it right, it will be nothing good news.

GNE

Amazon, At Least, Had a Merry Christmas

Thanks Erick. Another great look at the shake-out happening in retail this year and Amazon's continued success.

The Barclays stats are what every business leader likes to see. No matter which series I plot, the trend is a very healthy "upwards and to the right."

It will be interesting to see how Amazon does today on the "Boxing Day Bonanza of 2008."

I did a short note on that at today:
goodnewseconomist.com