Consumer Spending Down… Unemployement on the Rise

Friday October 31st, 2008

 

Happy FRIDAY all! 

With the reports coming in for companies Q3 finishes, it is reported that this is the best looking quarter for the times to come. Of course Exxon Mobil broke a new record for the best gain in a quarter, but we all knew that the oil industry has been robbing the American people. 

If you have not started seeing the results in slowing consumer spending, you will not have to look to far in the upcoming months. Personally restaurants in my area have been closing, and small odd and end shops too. I talked to a good friend of mine, who is in the Quick Service Industry. He said, “the company is comping sales all ready this year and I have not seen a decrease yet”. “People are cutting back on their spending, but still have a busy life and need a quick meal that is easy on the wallet”. He continues, “Even though we are comping sales, the company is not quite to project goals”. For those of you who do not know what “comping sales” means, is that they are banking profit margins ahead of the previous year.

Unemployment is really going to depend on the performances of Q4 and the Q1 of 2009. Like I said earlier, this quarter was supposed to be the best looking reported from here on out. There are many companies adjusting projections, and reporting losses. Not big losses, but it is the recession. Commodity companies like; General Mills and McCormick are going to keep on the up side due to families cooking more at home. 

Now, I am not going back on my word and I am still searching for individuals to support my outlook. As for the Nation, we MUST remain positive, and I am continuing to search for opportunity in a time that looks like its going to get worse before it gets better.

“There’s a difference in Playing to Win and Playing not to lose”, America we have nothing more to lose.

 

Thank you for your time.

Joe Sobieck

How are Companies “Hiding” Their Losses?

October 30th, 2008

 

Regardless of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, Corporate Companies are able to still hide their debt and losses to the general public. Why do I bring this up? Lets take a look at AIG. AIG’s loss/debt of 120 Billion Dollars just suddenly popped up overnight. Think about this, What would the outcome have been if Lehman Brothers did not go Bankrupt? This event was the “green light” for any other business to expose their debt/losses and ask for help to prevent a Great Depression 2. How much longer would it have taken til this Crisis had surfaced? Now, there was some concern about AIG in back in May when they issued 20 Billion in stock and reassured its investors of their cushion.

How are Companies “Hiding” their debt/losses? How are Companies able to get by with calling it “an accounting error”. I would like to see individuals being held accountable and punished by the extent of the law if there are more “accounting errors”. If it was not for Lehman Brothers exposing their troubles and going belly-up, it would be quite sometime until this surfaced. If that was the situation I do not believe that the US Government would have been able to bailout the situation. The US Government is having a hard enough time trying to get the economy back at the 700 Billion Dollar price tag. Could you imagine if this was over a Trillion Dollars? 

 

Thank you for your time…

Joe Sobieck

Has greed crumbled America’s best CEO’s moral compass?

Wednesday October 29, 2008

 

Is it not enough that CEO’s receive an amazing salary? What is the influence on getting bribes, bonuses, or handouts? How do those individuals look at themselves in the mirror, and you know they do? Take for example, Occidental Petroleum’s CEO Ray R. Irani, is going to have a compensation of over 509 MILLION Dollars in the next five years. Meanwhile, these same CEO’s that make such a great living, have their hands out trying to get a piece of the Federal Bailout Funding. It is reported that even though there are some policies to protect the funding from going to the Executives, there maybe ways around that.

I’m sorry, I cannot fathom the situation. Nor do I want to believe that money and special interest runs the nation and is able to bend a(n) extremely influential individuals moral compass. I do not charge half of the value of my services due to the fact that money is not why I live or work. I completely enjoy what I do and the crooked extras are not necessary. I agree that these individuals should be punished and set an example of, or the US may see a never ending cycle of Successes followed my hard-hitting recessions. 

 

Thank you for your time!

Joe Sobieck

What is it going to take to get some sunshine on the Global Crisis?

Monday October 27th, 2008

This is just getting so old and tiring. The Feds have meeting after meeting and they are actually putting together plans to help out this Global Financial Crisis. While these processes get put into effect, businesses are frozen and standing around clueless as how to find opportunity or help improve the situation. These are the same companies asking for Government assistance, but will not even reach to help in this recession or take intative. These corporate companies are looking out for number one to only protect their personal interest. Thats fine, but has anyone thought about getting involved with issues outside of their own? Maybe like; a target market, or even the general public. Since they would have the most impact on how a business will survive in these times.

Time for me to take it home, SUCK IT UP CORPORATE AMERICA! Embrase today, find possitive, and stop thinking about your own personal interest and just maybe you might end up more successful than before this crisis happened. Think about it; any interest reduction by the Government, or Federal Bailout, or even when Bush get up to speech about this to seek hope, nothing has worked. Take this into your own hands, look outside the window instead of the mirror the next time you ask yourself, “What can we do to get this situation taken care of”?

Thank you for your time.

Global Financial Crisis… I see opportunity.

To all who care,

Hello all, It is October 24, 2008. Looking at the markets in front of me; some foreign markets are down 10%, gas is about to open at a 17 month low, overnight trading has been frozen due to the 5% decline in the NYSE. 

I maybe one individual looking at this major crisis, watching the media over exploit this issue like it is the only topic to talk about. It the only topic they see to make money off of. I look at this “Crisis” and ask, “what can I do to help”? Who controls the markets? Who effects the financials? Who can turn this around? I look at this and go, “every individual who touches money”. 

Yes, when this sell off calms down, it will be buying opportunities of a life time. I do not want to wait for that. I believe that someone as myself, could really put a positive turn on this issue. I am not saying I could fix this. I see opportunity in this “Crisis” and I have for the last couple of weeks when Short Selling was frozen til October Third.

If there is anyone who reads this and somewhat agrees with me, I would like you to contact me. My email is jsobieck@gmail.com. I would like to get a community of people together and maybe figure out how we can at least help the world find positives. I am so sick of the negativity that keeps coming out of the media’s mouth. Lets create a plan, an influence, and put day light on a Friday that was quoted, “fasten your seatbelts, this will be market opening that America will never forget”.

 

Thank you all for your time.

 

Joe Sobieck