Re: Birchtree's account talk
From TWSJ by Marcus Walker "European Engine Might Stall" 9/26
"Global market turmoil threatens economy: U.S. exports at risk. New signals indicate that turmoil in global financial markets could hit the recovery in Europe's economy, one of the bright spots in the industrialized world.
Recent surveys show that businesses in the 13-nation euro currency area are becoming sharply more downbeat. Worsening data are prompting economists to cut their growth forecasts for the region. A marked slowdown in the $11 trillion euro-zone economy would also harm the outlook for companies in Asia and the U.S., which have found unexpected sales growth and profits in Europe in the past year that have helped to offset weaker growth in the U.S.
Economists say the fading optimism reflected in business surveys is partly due to worries over the crunch in the global credit markets, as well as higher interest rates, slower U.S. growth, a soaring euro exchange rate and high oil prices.
Germany's leading business-climate index, compiled by the Munich based Ifo Institute from a survey of around 7,000 companies, fell more sharply than expected in September, to 104.2 from 105.8 in August. The score shows an expanding economy, but is now well below April's peak of 108.6. The Ifo finding echoes Friday's unexpected plunge in a euro-area purchasing managers' index of business conditions, which fell to a two year low.
What should happen at this juncture is that consumption becomes a more important driver of growth. Instead, the Ifo survey found confidence among German retailers nose-diving. Goldman Sachs last week cut its euro-zone growth forecast for 2008 to 2% from 2.3%.
A European slowdown could affect the U.S., where companies' exports have been lifted by rising European demand as well as the weak dollar. Also, European subsidiaries have provided U.S. companies with fast growing earnings, reaching over $120 billion last year, at a time when domestic earnings have been flat. Europe's large economy makes it a more important market for many companies than China or India, despite their faster growth rates.
More than half of the U.S. companies' overseas earnings now come from Europe. Global earnings have propped up the stock market this year." Does it mean anything - I'm staying on my hoofs just in case this game is up for awhile.