Karen has a host of events, programs, and broadcasts in which she is involved. She was the moderator for the Inaugural Black Business & Economic Forecast Luncheon for Chicago GBS, she was the moderator for the 13th Frankklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Distinguished Lecture , and she is currently featured in a webinar, sponsored by the Chicago Board of Trade. If you would like to view her upcoming social engagements, click on the above picture or click onto the Links page to view her Calendar of Events.
Contact KG! Karen has an extensive professional background in the financial arena and would like to share her wealth of knowledge with the general public. Click onto the picture above or the Contact KG link to ask Karen for advice. Within this page, Karen also offers our participants a brochure containing vital information regarding the current market.
Get to know KG Karen has created a page to share her pictures and professional history, recording her rise through the "male-dominated," financial industry. Walk down memory lane with Karen and read about her professional history. Click onto the picture above or the Home page link to view this page. |
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DECEMBER 19, 2011 Good news! In early January 2012, I’ll start a joint venture with Maryland Public Television. Follow me at http://www.mptgetincharge.com/. Barring a huge end-of-year rally, U.S. stocks are on track to end 2011 pretty much where they started. But the numbers don’t reveal the wild market fluctuations and investor angst that marked the year. While the U.S. economy is showing signs of a slow but steady recovery, the crisis in Europe shows no signs of abating. The inability of the member states to find a solution to the sovereign debt problems that are plaguing Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland is weighing on global growth prospects and raising fears of a protracted recession that could have widespread implications for the U.S, economy going forward. The threat of a collapse in the single European currency had propped up gold, traditionally a hedge against inflation and uncertainty. But gold bugs threw in the towel last week, with the yellow metal plunging as much as 8%. Gold is now trading below its 200-day moving average, a sign of technical weakness. The U.S. dollar has been the beneficiary of this turmoil, with the Euro now at 11-month lows versus the greenback, great news for those planning to travel to Europe for the holidays. The strength in the dollar weighed on oil prices, with spot prices dropping below $93/bbl. Prices at the pump however remain stubbornly above $3/gal. The Federal Reserve’s open market committee held its final meeting of 2011 and left short-term interest rates unchanged, as telegraphed, through mid-2013. They remain concerned about downside economic risks, but made no mention of further stimulus or more coordinated central bank intervention. The rest of Washington remains paralyzed by partisan politics although Congress did manage to avoid a year-end government shutdown by passing a spending bill that would keep the government running through the end of the fiscal year. As of this writing, Congress is still negotiating an extension of the temporary payroll tax cut and jobless benefits. Failure to extend the tax cuts will amount a tax increase on wage earners, increasing the possibility of a double-dip recession and hurting spending and hiring. No action would also mean a 27% cut in payments to doctors treating Medicare patients. Consumers remain cautious, with many Black Friday shoppers returning purchases and dampening the holiday mood. With just one week left until Christmas, retailers are feeling the heat and aggressively discounting prices in hopes of jumpstarting sales.
The economic calendar ends the year with a whimper. This week’s data includes figures on November housing starts, permits and existing home sales along with weekly unemployment claims and a final revision to third-quarter GDP data. An early close is recommended by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association on Friday, December 23rd, after the release of November durable goods orders, personal income and consumption numbers and new home sales data. Expect light holiday trading volume. The following week is a short one with no trade on Monday, December 26 in observance of the Christmas holiday. Consumer confidence data for the month of December will be released on Tuesday, December 27th and weekly unemployment claims on Thursday, December 29th. While an early close is recommended by the SIFMA on Friday, December 30th, equity markets will hold normal hours to accommodate year-end trades. Here’s hoping your Christmas stocking holds more than a lump of coal and wishing you a healthy and prosperous New Year. |
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