Richard DeKaser Quotations

We are seeing a slowing in manufacturing activity in August that raises the stake of the ISM index which will help clarify some of today's confusion.

We're awfully close to the end of the game. They've got another quarter point in them. We'll see it later this month.

We have seen and I expect will continue to see a softening of demand for single-family housing that has been unmatched by a decline in construction. Eventually builders get with the program.

What the shock might be next time is unpredictable.

For the U.S. as a whole, I expect we're going to have an orderly correction. But that doesn't mean it's going to be equally orderly in all places.

If we see economic indicators continue to weaken at the pace they have weakened in the past month, then I'm wrong. We could not only see mortgage rates continue to soften, but hold at lower levels for quite a substantial period -- maybe the first half of next year. But I don't think that's likely to happen.

I think it's indisputable that demand in the housing market has declined in the past few months. It's very clear that rising interest rates figure very large in that decline.

It is a little concerning. The implication here is that over-valuation is becoming more prevalent. There is no disputing that price increases are far outstripping income gains,

I think the market is responding now to a perception of the increased possibility of recession, which I do not see.

January marked an end to the economic concern caused by the hurricanes ... and the related increase in oil prices.

Look at the two months together, average them out, what we still get is a fairly healthy picture of the consumer coming out of the fourth-quarter doldrums.

The apparent influence of White House economists has been quite small throughout the Bush administration, which hasn't changed much of late.

We're carrying firm momentum into 2006 which is likely to be sustained over the course of the year.

Today's report confirms that the single-family market has peaked this summer, and it's coming off gradually.

When demand shifts, it often takes time for supply side to get in sync ... I would still expect some softening is likely in the cards in the Dayton area as we go through this year.

There are not a lot of surprises here. We knew February will be a down month in spending after a torrid January due to mild weather. This is exactly what we got.

The credit markets have been very useful guides to industry prospects. Whatever reassuring signals they are sending shouldn't be ignored.

We have consumers spending in a healthy but not excess pace. They are an important prop to the economy but not a major driver.

This reflects the healthy expansion we saw in April, and it's consistent with what we're hearing from businesses. Not only was there improvement in orders, but there appears to be momentum in business sentiment across the board.

When we look back a year from now I think we'll recognize the summer of 2005 as the peak of the housing boom.

extremely overvalued and confront a high risk of a future price correction.

On the whole this will assuage some of the concern that's been bubbling up about inflation since the start of the year and should keep the Fed on its measured path for now.

This is a return to normalcy, and that is especially good after what seemed like a much more serious event for the economy just a month or two ago.

Although there was a slight correction in the outlook index, the results still indicate an optimistic stance on the economic condition for small businesses in the Midwest.

This locks in strong odds of a January move. March is still a toss-up. I think the Fed in its own admission is in the neutral zone.

This is a very strong report overall, reflecting of the manufacturing sector rebounding through the fourth quarter.

There's already been a considerable softening in housing demand which preceded the recent rise in mortgage rates. Which leads me to believe that the weakness at a minimum will continue, and may likely accelerate.

It's early in the game, but based on what we have seen, this is beginning to play out as a soft landing.

It's a very solid quarter. The fundamental of the economy is extremely robust, which doesn't exclude the effects of the hurricanes.

Consumers continue to persevere in a difficult environment in light of high oil prices,

It's still a welcome number. It showed sustained labor conditions outside of the areas impacted by the two hurricanes.

Taking it at face value, the hurricane played a big role in contributing to the weakness. Consumer spending was abysmal in October and November. It's an extremely weak report overall.

This is a very favorable report. In the context of what we've seen in the recent past, the Fed is right to say that inflation has been quiescent. It gives them more latitude to forestall an inevitable rate hike.

If you go outside of autos, manufacturing still looks quite healthy. There is a need for inventory rebuilding in addition to the strength in final demand.

If you go back just 90 days, there were credible assertions of $100-a-barrel oil. No one is talking about that anymore.

These areas are at an especially high risk of future price corrections,

The economy is rapidly getting back on course. The Fed is going to be concerned with inflation risks, and will lean toward raising rates further.