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

Thank you!
Robert F. Jung, CFA CPA*

*CPA inactve

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Headline Financial News

Bad bank' funding starts to take shape. The White House is said to be considering creating multiple investment funds to buy some of the bad loans and distressed assets at the core of the financial crisis. Obama's administration already announced last month that it plans to create private-public partnerships to buy these assets, but has yet to finalize the structure of the financing partnership. Sources say one leading idea is to create a series of separate funds to be run by private investment managers who would have to put up a certain amount of capital and would decide which assets to buy and at what price. Additional capital would be supplied by the government, which would share in any profits or losses. The government would also try to encourage other private investors to participate, possibly by offering non-recourse loans.

Personal income increases. Personal Income increased 0.4% ($44.8B) (vs. -0.2% consensus); disposable personal income rose 1.7% ($183B). Personal spending (PCE) increased 0.6% ($56.4B) vs. +0.4% consensus. Core PCE +0.1% in-line. Personal savings in January - 5% of disposable income - was the highest since March 1995

More mfg contraction. The ISM Manufacturing Index came in at 35.8 in February vs. 33.8 consensus, its 13th consecutive month of contraction. None of the 18 manufacturing industries reported growth. Primary Metals and Wood Products led the laggards.

Construction spending falls. U.S. construction spending -3.3% in January, far worse than the -1.5% expected, and -9.1% Y/Y. Residential private construction -2.9%; non-residential -4.3%.

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