Brian Bethune Quarter Quotations

Further gains in employment combined with better levels for consumer confidence overall are setting the stage for very solid consumption gains in the first quarter of 2006.

With the expansion projected to accelerate in the third quarter and inflation projected to be contained, the Fed is expected to 'play the same tune' and 'dance the same step' into early 2006.

There's so much momentum coming early into this quarter that an excellent quarter is just baked in the cake.

The service sector is picking up some momentum. An excellent quarter is just baked in the cake.

Activity in the manufacturing sector picked up early in the second quarter, in line with strong underlying fundamentals in the economy and stronger overseas demand. We can look forward to solid overall output growth in the second quarter of 2006.

Demand is strong enough for companies to raise prices. This will keep the Fed's bias toward higher rates intact through the second quarter of 2006.

Services industries kicked off the second quarter with very impressive momentum.