Brian Bethune Quotes (28 Quotes)

The expected drop in aircraft orders is strictly month-to- month noise and does not have any impact on the outlook for growth.

There are reports of solid underlying demand for 30-year bonds from pension funds and insurance companies.

The gradual cooling off of the housing market will be welcome news at the Federal Reserve.

New auctions will satisfy an unusual coincidence of needs on the supply and demand side of the fixed-income debt markets.

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.

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.

Mortgage purchase applications continue to track downwards, suggesting that most of the expected pop in housing sales in January was weather-related.

The budget deficit is like gaining weight. You are not really aware of it until at some point, all of a sudden you can't do what you want to do because you are heavier. Interest rates go up and slow things down. Then you go to your check up and the doctor

We saw a big rebound in corporate profits and that's a good signal for continued business investment. That generally leads to hiring, which will help keep consumption going.

Manufacturing is gaining strength heading into the second quarter. We have a level of capacity use that justifies more business investment.

We're definitely going to see a very strong first quarter. It looked like consumers were hibernating in December, and all they needed was an excuse to go on a spending spree. The weather provided that.

The warm weather in January will provide a temporary upward boost to housing construction, but activity is expected to taper off in February.

While the record drop in the top level index spells welcome relief from the painful post-hurricane energy price spikes in September, continued pressure on the core index over the next several months will keep the Federal Reserve vigilant on the inflation watch.

If housing and stock prices go down, people will respond by increasing the flow of savings. If they have to save more to meet retirement objectives, then they'll have to cut down on consumption.

The overall momentum in construction remains solid. We expect this pattern to continue, with public and commercial construction taking the leadership baton in 2006 as housing starts ease back moderately.

That was a gust of wind in the spinnaker.

In terms of economic growth, the fundamentals are clearly on the side of the U.S.. We don't think there's going to be a lot of additional momentum, but even if (the dollar) treads water, it's still going to be an attractive investment.

We'll have very solid overall job gains that will punctuate the start of more normal activity in terms of employment,

Business investment is going to be one of the principal drivers of growth in 2006. The consumer will still be there ... (but) certainly won't be as ebullient as the last four years.

Consumption spending will continue to plod ahead in the second quarter.

The manufacturing sector continues to steam-roll ahead. The stage is set for solid growth in the second quarter.

The Fed has been kind of on autopilot here for quite a while, ... Now all of a sudden they're going to have to start doing some work. I don't think a robotic response is appropriate here.

Demand for capital goods in overseas markets is expected to remain firm in the months ahead as cyclical recoveries in Europe and Japan are gaining momentum.

The risk to crops and farms won't be as significant if it loses force, ... When you look at the lessons from Katrina, the eventual damage to agriculture was less than feared. The department of agriculture actually revised up its estimates of production in the state after Katrina passed.

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

This sets the stage for a modest consumer expenditure growth slowdown in the fourth quarter, providing support for the Federal Reserve's very gradual approach to adjusting rates,

Gains in employment and the stock market continue to support confidence. Household income is expected to grow at rates that will sustain growth in consumer spending.

We are expecting to see some pressure on inflation. Companies are going to take advantage of strong demand to at least cover their cost increases.