Richard Hastings Goods Quotations

If spending on durable goods slows down, it could also weaken sales of consumer electronics, especially on big ticket items that have a higher profit margin but are interest rate sensitive.

Weaker spending on seasonal goods has been building up for four months now. The two factors hurting consumers particularly at the low- and middle-income levels are that wages have not grown and gasoline prices could go even higher.

Wal-Mart's much slower rate of sales growth in November clearly shows this is a matured global business. As supermarket goods continue to increase as a percentage of sales -- and this includes consumables and perishables sold in big volume at Sam's Club -- we will expect to see a persistently slower rate of top line growth.

The fact that the Chinese currency is pegged to the dollar helps eliminate the inflationary effect on goods from China, ... The U.S., however, doesn't see that benefit from its other trading partners.