US Unemployment & Economy: It looks like the US economy is weak. Employment, earnings and economic data was weak. Once again, this weeks data is important to see where the follow through goes.

August 12, 2010 - Stocks, U.S. Futures Fluctuate in Wake of Slide - European stocks rebounded from the biggest drop in more than a month and U.S. index futures fluctuated between gains and losses. The yen recovered earlier losses against the dollar, oil declined and wheat rose.

August 11, 2010 - Stocks Drop, Treasuries Rally on Growth Concern - Stocks plunged, sending the MSCI World Index to its biggest drop since June, and Treasuries led a rally in government bonds on concern that the U.S. economic recovery is faltering. The dollar surged the most in 19 months against the euro.

August 11, 2010 - Treasuries Rally, Stocks Fall as Fed Signals Slowdown - Stocks and U.S. index futures dropped and Treasuries rose, sending the two-year yield to a record low, after the Federal Reserve said the recovery is decelerating. The yen strengthened through 85 against the dollar for the first time since November.

August 11, 2010 - Fed Looks to Spur Growth by Buying Government Debt - Federal Reserve officials decided to reinvest principal payments on mortgage holdings into long-term Treasury securities, making their first attempt to bolster growth since March 2009 to keep the slowing U.S. economy from relapsing into recession.

August 10, 2010 - Stocks, U.S. Futures Fall on Fed, China Concerns; Yen Advances - Stocks fell the most in three weeks, U.S. index futures declined and the yen strengthened as the Federal Reserve prepared to signal whether the economy needs stimulus while concern deepened that demand in China is slowing.

August 7, 2010 - U.S. Stocks Advance, S&P 500 Reaches Two-Month High on Improved Earnings - U.S. stocks advanced this week and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed to the highest level since May after companies from Pfizer Inc. to News Corp. beat earnings estimates and reports showed expansion in the service and manufacturing industries.

August 6, 2010 - Companies in U.S. Add 71,000 Jobs, Unemployment at 9.5% - Companies in the U.S. added workers in July for a seventh straight month at a pace that suggests the labor-market recovery will be slow to take hold. Private payrolls that exclude government agencies rose by 71,000 after a June gain of 31,000 that was smaller than previously reported, Labor Department figures in Washington showed today. Economists projected a 90,000 July increase, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey. Overall employment fell 131,000 and unemployment held at 9.5 percent.

August 5, 2010 - Jobless Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Climb to Three-Month High - More Americans than projected filed applications for unemployment insurance last week, indicating firings remain elevated as the recovery moderated. Initial jobless claims climbed by 19,000 to 479,000 in the week ended July 31, the most since April and exceeding the highest estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The number of people receiving unemployment benefits dropped, while those getting extended payments rose.

August 5, 2010 - U.S. Index Futures Are Little Changed; News Corp. Rises, Hartford Declines - U.S. stock-index futures were little changed as investors awaited further evidence that the economic recovery and growth in corporate earnings can justify a one- month rally in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

August 4, 2010 - European, Asian Shares Decline; U.S. Stock-Index Futures Fall - European and Asian stocks fell and U.S. index futures dropped on speculation reports today will add to indications that the U.S. economic recovery is slowing.

August 2, 2010 - Stocks, Oil Gain as Earnings Top Estimates - Stocks rallied, sending the MSCI World Index to an 11-week high, oil surged above $81 a barrel and Treasuries fell following better-than-estimated earnings and growth in U.S. manufacturing and construction spending.

July 31, 2010 - U.S. Stocks Drop, Trimming Biggest S&P 500 Monthly Rally Since July 2009 - U.S. stocks fell this week, trimming the biggest monthly rally for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index in a year, after economic reports and earnings forecasts from technology companies disappointed investors.

July 30, 2010 - IMF Says U.S. Financial System May Need $76 Billion in Capital - The U.S. financial system remains fragile and banks subjected to additional economic stress might need as much as $76 billion in capital, according to the results of International Monetary Fund stress tests. The findings, released today as part of a broader IMF report on the U.S. financial system, suggested that while the nation’s banking system is stable, it remains vulnerable. Home prices, commercial real estate loans and economic growth have the potential to cause shocks that could expose banks to more losses.

Disclaimer

The contents of this presentation contain statements that may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding future economic events, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking information involves significant risks, assumptions, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual future results or anticipated events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements and accordingly, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results.

Actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any forward-looking statements made and, accordingly, viewers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for anyone to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on any of the financial or commodity markets.

This is not investment advice and you need to review this information with your tax, legal and financial advisors before acting upon this information.