Crew Capital Management Thoughts on Investment

Welcome to the Crew Capital Management Thoughts on Investment blog. At Crew Capital, investment education is key to how we work with our clients. We hope our conversation and analysis entice you to think further on your investment strategies and planning. For further discussion, please contact us at rjung@crewcapital.com

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Robert F. Jung, CFA CPA*

*CPA inactve

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Headline Financial News - 8/27/2008

Fed Minutes show weak outlook, split on inflation. Minutes released yesterday from the August 5 FOMC meeting show the Fed expects weak economic growth and moderating inflation through to the end of the year, and committee members marked down their forecast for growth in the second half of this year and 2009. The central bank's interest-rate target remained unchanged at 2%, and though committee members expect to raise interest rates at some point, the timing of such a move is unclear since most committee members believe the interest rate is not too low given the current economic situation. Fed officials appeared divided on exactly how great a threat inflation poses and to what extent financial stress is weighing down the economy.

FDIC may replenish funds with Treasury loan. Increased bank failures have pushed the FDIC's reserve ratio to 1.01% ($45.2B), low by historical standards, forcing the FDIC to develop a restoration plan to replenish the fund. Risks remain high, with 117 banks on the FDIC's "problem" list compared to 90 in Q1. Chairman Sheila Bair said Treasury borrowing could be needed to cover short-term cash-flow pressures created from reimbursing depositors immediately after a bank failure. The loan would be repaid once the failed bank's assets had been sold. Washington regulators are concerned that the FDIC is turning to the Treasury after only nine bank failures, a move that underscores the weakness of the U.S. banking system in the wake of the credit crisis.

U.S. consumer confidence hits near-record low. ABC's weekly Consumer Comfort Index shows American consumer confidence fell to a near-record low as gasoline prices remained high, and inflation and unemployment continued to weigh down the economy. The index was down to -50 in the week to Aug. 24, one point lower than the previous week, and dangerously close to the all-time low of -51, reached in May.

S&P/Case-Shiller see housing decline moderating. S&P/Case-Shiller says broad-based declines in U.S. home prices continue. Q2 prices fell a record 15.4% vs. a year ago. It does see the decline moderating, and a possible bottom in some regions.

Source: SeekingAlpha.com

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