Today

U.S. GDP grew at a revised 3.8% annualized rate in the fourth quarter versus the original estimate of 3.1%. For all of 2004, GDP was up 4.4%.

And, big surprise, Government spending increased by 1.25% annual rate last quarter (originally 0.9%)

Personal consumption expenditures were revised down to a 4.2% annual rate (originally 4.6).

Business fixed investment jumped at an annual rate of 14%. Quite an increase from the original 10.3 estimate.

One of the Federal Reserve's favorite price indexes, the U.S. core rate of personal expenditures was up an annual rate of 1.6% in the fourth quarter.

TT News announces U.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks in January kept up the same blistering pace they set in 2004, setting an apparent all-time record for the month by reaching 18,257 — a 61.9% increase over sales in the first month of last year.


U.S. existing home sales were at an annual rate of 6.80 million units in January, down from December's pace. (Lumber?)

From Motley Fools comes news that apparently 80% of all health-care events in a family's life consist of 14 very common ailments.

The USDA projected the 2005-2006 U.S. soybean harvest at 2.87 billion bushels, resulting in a drop in ending stocks, from 440 to 410 million bushels. Dry conditions are expected to continue in southern Brazil.

The 2004 supply and demand figures from the World Gold Council show 2004 world mine production down 4.4% to 2,478 tons while total demand increased 8.2% to 3,484 tons. Central bank sales were (helpfully) reduced by 19% in 2004.

GDP in the U.K. was up 0.7% in the fourth quarter and up 2.9% YoY. Less than expected.


The unemployment rate in France increased from 9.9% to 10.0% in January, the highest in five years.

An index of consumer confidence in Germany increased from 4.2 to 4.8 in February, the highest in almost a year.


"Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity." Gotthold Ephraim Lessing