Archive for October, 2009

Treasury Department announces $5 billion in awards to spur investment in economically distressed communities

NCB Capital Impact Awarded $90 Million in New Markets Tax Credits for a Total of $409 Million To Date
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and the Director of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, Donna J. Gambrell, announced billions of dollars in awards to spur private sector investment in communities facing economic challenges. The announcement was [...]

Consumer Reports poll: 65 percent of consumers expect to cut back on Holiday spending

13.5 Million Americans Still Carry Debt from Last Year’s Holiday Shopping
The effects of ongoing economic turbulence continue to weigh heavily on the pocketbooks and minds of shoppers as the 2009 holiday season approaches. According to a new Consumer Reports Holiday Shopping Poll, 65 percent of Americans plan to cut back on overall holiday expenses [...]

Investors cautious about taking risks: Bloomberg Global Poll

oncerns Over U.S. Economic Policies and Banking System Buffett Seen As Best Assessor of Financial Markets
Global investors and analysts are concerned about taking on more risk due to skepticism over U.S. economic policies and its banking system despite an eight-month rally in the global stock markets, according to the Bloomberg Global Poll, a quarterly survey [...]

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index declines in October 2009

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined in September, deteriorated further in October. The Index now stands at 47.7 (1985=100), down from 53.4 in September. The Present Situation Index decreased to 20.7 from 23.0 last month. The Expectations Index declined to 65.7 from 73.7 in September.
The Consumer Confidence Survey® is based on a [...]

The world’s most prosperous nations are in Europe, finds Legatum Prosperity Index

Finland is Top; The United Kingdom Ranks 12th, Ahead of Germany (14th) and France (17th)
Despite High Concentration of World’s Most Prosperous Countries in Europe, Signs of Potential Weakness in Domestic Security and Governance
The third edition of the Legatum Prosperity Index, published today, ranks 104 countries (covering 90% of the world’s population), based on a definition [...]

Uruguay no1 for prosperity in South America; Venezuela and Bolivia the worst in the region

Personal freedom, security, and good health are a recipe for success; internal security and safety concerns and poor governance limit overall prosperity
The third edition of the Legatum Prosperity Index, published today, ranks 104 countries (covering 90% of the world’s population), based on a definition of prosperity that combines economic growth together with measures of happiness [...]

Survey shows wide acceptance for capabilities of people blind, severely disabled, despite 60 percent unemployed

Federal Workers Play Strong Role to Help Increase Job Opportunities
As part of October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the AbilityOne Program’s central nonprofit agencies are releasing survey results that demonstrate Americans have an overwhelming acceptance of the work capabilities of people who are blind or have other significant disabilities. The survey findings also reveal [...]

Consumer Financial Protection Agency needs strengthening to keep consumers and the economy safe

A new consumer financial protection regulator was wounded but not crippled by a barrage of special interest lobbying and amendments before final approval of the bill in the House Financial Services committee yesterday, said the nonpartisan Consumer Watchdog.
“Americans want an end to the culture of greed and consumer abuses that led to the financial crisis. [...]

WD announces record quarterly revenue of $2.2 billion with net income of $288 million, or $1.25 per share

Fiscal Q1 Revenue Up 5 Percent, Hard Drive Shipments Up 12 Percent, Net Income Up 36 Percent from Year-ago Quarter
Western Digital Corp. reported record revenue of $2.2 billion, record hard drive shipments of 44.1 million units and net income of $288 million, or $1.25 per share, for its first fiscal quarter ended Oct. 2, 2009. [...]

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index for the U.S. improves again; Sixth consecutive increase

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index(TM) (LEI) for the U.S. increased 1.0 percent in September, following a 0.4 percent gain in August, and a 1.0 percent rise in July.
“With the sixth consecutive increase, the LEI’s six-month growth rate has improved to its highest pace since 1983,” says Ataman Ozyildirim, Economist at The Conference Board. “Except [...]