2houndz

Retail Sales Recovery Isn't So Clear

Captain - how is fewer retail employees and less inventory going to help sales comps? Agreed that it should help the bottom line look better, but we are talking here about sales. That's unless of course, in addition to a "job-less" recovery we are now talking about a "revenue-less" recovery, which really would not surprise me one bit. I have myself started expecting a "recovery-less" recovery, where nothing actually improves except government transfer payments that keep pumping up the markets.... but I digress....

Markos,
You wrote above:
"Most would use caution in predicting recovery based on such a small increase, and on preliminary data nonetheless!"

I am in agreement with you and thank you for your post, but keep in mind that most revisions downward are simply overlooked. If a data point, preliminary or otherwise is encouraging, it is a "surprise" and is leading data. If data is negative or if a prior announcement is revised down it is lagging, was expected, and is already priced into the market.

Again I appreciate your objectivity, but you cannot win at this game.