102 Quotes by Stephen Stanley

Some of the strength in building permits and claims may be weather-related and so this number probably won't be repeated, but there's been a strong recovery in the index since the hurricanes and by and large we're seeing that in the economy as a whole.

It is definitely clear that (housing) is one area where you will see less growth,

Today's report should convince most market participants that the March softness in the data was primarily a one-month phenomenon. Sounds like a recipe for continued 25 basis-point rate hikes for the foreseeable future.

We know that a flood of Katrina-related claims is coming. The magnitude and the timing are uncertain, but the figures will clearly be boosted sharply very soon.

We are seeing some improvement in foreign economies, but the imports are just so much bigger than exports you would have to have a big slowdown in U.S. demand to really make a difference. I don't expect to see any big improvement in the near term.

The overall manufacturing sector is doing OK with the exception of autos. We continue to see recovery in the industries that were hit by the hurricanes, and then on top of all that it was a cold December.

We still do not look for the core CPI to accelerate rapidly, but it is likely to be persistently firmer going forward. At a minimum, core consumer price inflation will be firm enough to keep the Fed on edge and raising interest rates.

There is more bad news to come in May. Gasoline will be up sharply, and tobacco will be up.

The question is, How much of this feeds through all the way down the production process? Do companies end up having to swallow the cost increases or can they pass it through?