My preference would be to see a dramatic increase in the dividend; I think they'd get more bang for their buck. They clearly have the financial capability to triple it; I think they could attract more investors and get a higher stock price more readily.
Consumers are going to be in for an ugly winter, heating their homes and fueling their cars, ... As a result, consumer spending in other areas is going to change.
The biggest concern is how high the Fed will go with rates. That's clearly destabilizing the markets and causing choppiness.
I think we are likely to remain in a trading range for some time.
I think Greenspan basically said the obvious, that long rates are too low and against his desire for the economy to grow ... His comments indicated that the Fed will remain in a tightening stance and that we should see further raising as the year progresses.
Profitability in the first-quarter and beyond is going to continue to be strong and the broader economy is clearly in a recovery phase,
The earnings reports are going to be the big driver in the next few weeks. What companies say they earned in the fourth quarter is going to be less important than what they say about the rest of the year.
The stock market is hoping that the Katrina effect will cause the Fed to stop its campaign, or at least pause, until it becomes clear just how big the impact of Katrina is on the economy.
I think the stock market is digesting a very strong end of the year.
We'd concur that '06 is not going to be a gangbuster year for increases in tech spending. Everybody's still waiting for a strong recovery after the 2000 bust.