Barry Hyman Consumer Quotations

I think this week's performance has been very indicative of a bottom. The market made a lot of sense this week, since the Fed really helped to ensure the positive psychology that is needed to maintain consumer and investor confidence.

What I like about today is that all of the main S&P sectors are higher, which shows broad strength for the market. And the consumer confidence number suggests optimism about the start of 2005.

The market has created this wealth effect because there have been a lot of gains over the past two or three years, ... That has provided the ability for consumers to increase spending on regular goods and luxury goods.

The consumer is still spending, ... They are the leaders in this sector. I want to be involved in the leader of that particular sector.

I don't think the Fed looks at the equity market and makes decisions off the equity markets, but the equity markets are absolutely a reflection of wealth and consumer confidence, ... That is what the equity markets mean in relation to other economic scenarios and that is where (the Fed's) interest is.

They're (investors) looking for the Fed to be absolutely aggressive and see the economy as slow as can be and to be measured in terms of understanding how important the consumer is at this point. And how important the stock market is to consumer confidence.

As long as we continue to see good earnings and the reaction to good earnings positive, then you will see Nasdaq as the sector of choice. The Dow is being weighted by this conflicting (economic) story -- stronger consumer spending and OK-looking inflation numbers. But the tech (sector) is merrily rolling along.

I don't think the economy can really withstand the equity markets dropping down and giving back all of its gains ? that would really hamper consumer confidence. The one thing that has changed is psychology ? it's time to look forward to what the effect interest rate cuts mean for the economy.

I agree that this was a psychological boost because the Fed is freaked that the consumer is starting to back out, and they want to...try to make the Christmas season a little more palatable,

It's a consumer company that sells personal care items, ... At 11 times earnings, I think it is too cheap to be ignored. I think it is a $15 stock.

Retail sales numbers were stronger than expected, and that shows that consumer are still spending, and I think that is weighing on the market today and it should. But it's not weighing on the Nasdaq, where you're seeing those really good earnings reports. People really regard tech as the place to make money.