Weekly Commentary

Departure Speed While scrolling through the hundreds of tweets I receive on a daily basis; I found a nice chart that truly keeps things in perspective for me and I hope you as well. The stock market is up 100% and that’s amazing (Reference 1). The Fed has done it’s self described job of inflating […]

“Either we change the way we live or change the way they live”- Don Rumsfeld   With all that is going on in the Middle East I can’t help but reflect on an asset class that has been out of favor the last few years: energy. Looking at the chart below, out of all US […]

Some things in life really count and should be counted, some things in life really count and can’t be counted There are two sets of data that I want to bring to your attention in this very brief blog (as it is Super Bowl Sunday). I have a Super Bowl diet allocation of 3,500 calories […]

Two Sides of the Same Coin This week the news was dominated by the turmoil enveloping Egypt, the geopolitical center of the Middle East. What is occurring shares many of the same characteristics of the popular revolt in Iran during the 70’s. In that instance, extremists hijacked the moderate populous and moved the country to […]

Objects in the Rear View Mirror Are they closer than they appear? Retail sales rose 7.9% on a year over year basis for 2010. Retail sales are up 13.5% from the bottom and up 0.2% above the pre-recession peak in November 2007. The consumer is back! Here is a recent quote from the San Francisco […]

Investor Class vs. Working Class The economy is expected to possibly grow at a rate of 3.5% in 2011. By comparison, to achieve stable employment, a GDP of 2.7% would probably be necessary. Clearly the estimates being put forward suggest a significant improvement in the employment picture. As we enter earnings season this week we […]

New Year’s Resolutions Our focus for the New Year. Call it a recommitment, an affirmation, or simply stating the obvious. It’s clear to me that in order for Phillips and Company to thrive and grow we need to make a couple of New Year’s Resolutions. It’s not to eat healthier, drink less, speak kinder, lose […]

Now What The $800 billion Clinton-Bush-Obama Tax Plan is in the books. The $600 billion Fed bond purchase program is underway and the stock market is moving higher as a result. United States GDP estimates for 2011 are inching up with some very notable experts, including Alan Greenspan, suggesting we could possibly see 3.5% growth […]

The CBO: Congressional Budget Office Clinton, Bush, and Obama Stimulus Program Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows Indeed Weekly Market Commentary 12-13-10 At the end of the week just as everyone was heading out to enjoy the weekend, I took a quick glimpse at the future, or should I say the past. On TV was former President […]

At the confluence of the mighty Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean is Buoy 10, a great spot for Salmon Fishing and getting sea sick. The absolute chop, current and waves caused by these two massive bodies of water cause quite a stir. In fact, it’s often people lose their lives trying to cross this […]