Hugh Johnson Spend Quotations

Technology stocks have been leaders for good reason. The economy is growing 3.5 percent per year, while spending on information-processing equipment is growing 19.1 percent a year, after inflation. And spending on computers and peripherals is growing at a 41.1-percent rate. Technology is reflecting what lies ahead for the economy.

Technology stocks have been leaders for good reason, ... The economy is growing 3.5 percent per year, while spending on information-processing equipment is growing 19.1 percent a year, after inflation. And spending on computers and peripherals is growing at a 41.1-percent rate. Technology is reflecting what lies ahead for the economy.

The reason for the (technology) decline is the combination of the Cisco earnings and the comments from CEO John Chambers. He basically said what Intel said recently: that customers are getting very cautious and that spending on technology is slowing.

Long term interest rates are higher now than they were in the second and third quarters, and debt levels are higher too. Yes, consumer spending will continue to expand, but it will be slower.

The durable goods numbers are telling us that businesses are spending money, and that the outlook for the economy is solid. And after last week, the earnings numbers are encouraging. So we're seeing a good bump today.

Almost every quarter I can remember people have come up with reasons to explain away earnings gains. The truth is that earnings are doing better, and the hope is that, because earnings are improving, companies will begin to hire and spend money on technology.

I see business spending recovering, but not in telecommunications or telecommunications equipment.