Financial life in a big town

Oil prices fell Wednesday on concerns about a weakening European economy and disappointing job growth in the U.S.

Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude gave up 94 cents to end the day at $105.22 per barrel in New York. Brent crude, which helps set the price of oil imported into the U.S., lost $1.46 to finish at $118.20 per barrel in London.

Prices dropped after a survey showed that Europe’s manufacturing industry is slowing down. Also, the unemployment rate in the 17 countries that use the euro rose to 10.9 percent in March. A separate report says U.S. businesses added 119,000 jobs in April, far lower than the 201,000 added in March.

Oil and natural gas demand has been declining this year in the U.S. and Europe, and it could fall further if their economies struggle. The U.S. is the world’s largest oil consumer. Europe uses nearly a fifth of the world’s oil.

Wednesday’s reports out of Europe and the U.S. show “the economic picture remains uncertain,” said Gene McGillian, a broker and oil analyst at Tradition Energy. “The European debt crisis is still ongoing, and while the U.S. appears to be improving, it’s really just muddling forward,” he said.

The Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration also reported on Wednesday that U No teletrak payday loan.S. oil supplies grew slightly more than expected last week, while demand fell nearly 2 percent. The nation’s crude inventories increased by 2.8 million barrels from the previous week, to 375.9 million barrels in storage. At the same time, gasoline supplies dropped by 2 million barrels.

The EIA report said wholesale demand for gasoline was down almost 5 percent from a year ago, as many drivers continue to be careful about how much they drive.

Retail U.S. gasoline prices fell by less than a penny on Wednesday to a national average of $3.80 per gallon, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information service. That’s about 12 cents lower than a month ago, but the average is still above $4 a gallon in seven states and the District of Columbia.

In other energy futures trading, natural gas fell nearly 5 percent after jumping on Tuesday to the highest level in two months. Futures fell 11.8 cents to finish at $2.253 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Heating oil fell by 3.46 cents to end at $3.1425 per gallon and gasoline fell by 2.14 cents to end at $3.0757 a gallon.

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The Federal Reserve is holding off on increasing monetary accommodation unless the U.S. economic expansion falters or prices rise at a rate slower than its 2 per cent target.

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No one knows for sure what the Supreme Court will do with health care reform. But unless it strikes down the whole law, millions of wealthy families can expect a tax increase come January.

Two big Medicare tax changes were enacted to help pay for the new federal subsidies that millions of Americans will get when they buy health insurance. The tax changes themselves were not among the specific provisions of the law being challenged at the court.

Quiz: What the rich really pay in taxes

The new increases in Medicare taxes will apply to individuals making more than $200,000 a year, or $250,000 for married couples.

The measure, set to go into effect next year, is estimated to raise more than $200 billion over 10 years.

Roughly 4 million households — or 2.4% — will be affected by the increase initially, according to new estimates from the Tax Policy Center. By 2022 that number will grow to 8.3 million, or 4.6%.

What if the health reform mandate dies?

How much more households will pay depends on which Medicare increase they’ll be subject to since the Affordable Care Act calls for two changes. Some households will only be subject to one, and some will be subject to both.

The first involves the Medicare tax on earnings. Today, workers pay 1.45% of their wages into Medicare. Starting next year, high-income individuals will pay another 0.9 percentage points on their earned income over $200,000 ($250,000 if married).

The second change pertains to investment income, which to date has never been subject to the Medicare tax instant payday loan. But next year high-income households will start paying a 3.8% tax on at least a portion of their investment income, such as capital gains, dividends and rental income.

Households subject only to the Medicare tax increase on earnings will pay an estimated $2,430 more on average next year. But amounts vary widely depending on one’s income level. Those making between $200,000 and $500,000, for instance, will only pay about $633 extra while households making $1 million or more would pay another $11,242.

By contrast, millionaires subject only to the new investment income tax will see a much bigger tax bill, paying $38,149 more.

And — no surprise — households subject to both versions of the Medicare tax increase will get hit the hardest. More than 90% of those with incomes over $1 million fall into this group, according to Tax Policy Center estimates. And their average tax increase would top $45,000 next year. By 2022, they’ll pay $57,125 more.

While it’s easy to make the case that the wealthy can absorb these kinds of increases without much strain, that argument may not hold up as well over time as lawmakers seek to raise more revenue from the $250,000-and-up crowd to pay for any number of endeavors, including reducing deficits.

Said Tax Policy Center senior fellow Roberton Williams: "The well is only so deep." 

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Retail sales in the U.S. probably rose in February by the most in five months, spurred by the strongest demand for automobiles since 2008, economists said before a report today.

The 1.1 percent rise would follow a 0.4 percent gain in January, according to the median forecast of 81 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Excluding autos, purchases may have climbed 0.7 percent.

Sales at chains like Gap Inc. (GPS) and Target Corp. (TGT) last month beat analysts

Boeing Co., Sikorsky, Eurocopter and Bell, the top four helicopter makers, are focused on Asia as 1,000 orders from countries spanning India to Korea are set to make it the fastest growing military-chopper market by 2015.

Tenders in half a dozen nations should produce sales of $10 billion over the next three years, Norbert Ducrot, executive vice president for the Asia-Pacific region at Eurocopter, the world’s No. 1 manufacturer of rotorcraft, said in an interview.

Key bids include naval tenders in Korea and India, for which Sikorsky, a unit of United Technologies Corp., is pitching its Seahawk antisubmarine model, a version of the Black Hawk.

Asian military spending rose 14 percent last year, funded by the world’s fastest-growing regional economy. The helicopter market is surging as nations race to replace aging Western, Soviet and home-grown models, led by emerging powers seeking the means to extend their military reach, according to Craig Caffrey, a defense analyst at IHS Jane’s DS Forecast in London.

“In China and India, the market is being driven by attempts to improve the mobility of their ground forces, which requires the procurement of large quantities of tactical transport helicopters,” said Caffrey, adding that Asia represents “one of the most open and diverse” markets for the aircraft.

While the U.S. will remain the biggest military-helicopter market over the next decade, its share of sales will dip to 38 percent from 50 percent with its exit from Iraq last year and a withdrawal from Afghanistan planned for 2014, according to London-based Visiongain no fax cash loans.

Competition intensified last week in Singapore, with major manufacturers pushing their products at the last major air show before a series of contract announcements begins with an Indian order for 197 light helicopters valued at $1.5 billion.

India, whose existing chopper fleet is dominated by Soviet models, also has a contest under way for 55 naval helicopters, worth $2.2 billion, for which France-based Eurocopter is pitching the NH90 against Sikorsky’s Seahawk and Textron Inc.’s Bell 429.

The south Asian nation is also seeking 22 attack choppers in a tender for which Chicago-based Boeing says its AH-64 Apache, built in Mesa, Ariz., has been selected as preferred bidder over the Russian Mil Mi-28 Havoc, together with 15 heavy-lift models that have attracted proposals from the Boeing Ch-47 Chinook, built in Ridley Park, Pa., and the Mi-26 Halo.

Boeing is offering the Chinook model used in Afghanistan.

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Americans are gaining faith that the economy is on the upswing. The monthly Consumer Confidence Index surged to the highest level since April and is approaching a post-recession peak.

The New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index rose almost 10 points to 64.5, up from a revised 55.2 in November. Analysts had expected 59. The level is close to the post-recession peak of 72, which the index reached in February.

The surge in December builds on another big increase in November, when the index rose almost 15 points from the month before.

One component of the index that measures how shoppers feel now about the economy, rose to 46.7, up from 38.3 in November. The other barometer, which measures how shoppers feel about the next six months, rose to 76.4, up from 66.4.

Improving confidence is in line with retail reports of a decent holiday shopping season.

Economists watch the confidence numbers closely because consumer spending _ including items like health care _ accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic activity. Still, the December confidence reading is below the 90 level that indicates an economy on solid footing.

Analysts are cautious about whether the gains are the start of something more sustainable.

“While consumers are ending the year in a somewhat more upbeat mood, it is too soon to tell if this is a rebound from earlier declines or a sustainable shift in attitudes,” Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, said in a statement.

Even with the increase in confidence, shoppers are still nervous about their jobs and the overall economy according to the preliminary results of the survey, which ran Dec pay day loans. 1-14.

Those claiming jobs are “plentiful” increased to 6.7 percent from 5.6 percent, while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” decreased to 41.8 percent from 43.0 percent. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead increased to 13.3 percent from 12.4 percent while those anticipating fewer jobs declined to 20.2 percent from 23.8 percent.

That’s because while the job market is steadily improving, unemployment _ at 8.6 percent _ is still high. And housing remains wobbly. The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index of home prices, also released Tuesday, dropped in October in 19 of the 20 cities it tracks. It was a second straight declining month, further evidence of a bumpy housing recovery.

Heading into the holiday season, store executives were nervous about consumers’ willingness to spend. Merchants offered big discounts on holiday merchandise and lured shoppers with expanded hours.

After a record spending spree over Thanksgiving weekend, the season’s semi-official start, shoppers retreated for a few weeks. Then stores saw a surge of shopping the week before Christmas as consumers took advantage of better discounts.

The National Retail Federation now expects a 3.8 percent increase in holiday sales, up from its original forecast of 2.8 percent made in September when the economy’s recovery looked more uncertain. More data will be released this week that will offer more clues about stores’ last-minutes sales surge before Christmas.

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Asian stocks fell Wednesday after the U.S. lowered its economic growth estimate for the third quarter and climbing yields on Spanish bonds magnified worries over Europe’s debt load.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 2 percent to 17,882.10. South Korea’s Kospi lost 2 percent to 1,789.83 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.6 percent to 4,066.80. Japanese stock markets were closed for a public holiday.

Wall Street slipped Tuesday after a government report showed the U.S. economy grew at a 2 percent annual rate from July through September, down from an initial estimate of 2.5 percent. Economists had expected the figure to remain the same.

The Dow Jones industrial average lost 0.5 percent to close at 11,493.72. The Standard & Poor’s 500 fell 0.4 percent to 1,188.04. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.1 percent to 2,521.28.

Higher borrowing costs for Spain, meanwhile, renewed worries about Europe’s debt crisis. The higher rates suggest that investors are still skeptical that the country will get its budget under control despite a new government coming to power this week.

Investors have been worried that Spain could become the next country to need financial support from its European neighbors if its borrowing rates climb to unsustainable levels.

Greece was forced to seek relief from its lenders after its long-term borrowing rates rose above 7 percent. The rate on Spain’s own benchmark 10-year bond is dangerously close to that level, 6.58 percent payday advance lenders.

Underscoring jitters was the lack of market reaction to an announcement by the International Monetary Fund that it will provide quick cash on flexible terms to countries facing sudden financial stress.

“Failure of this news to result in significant gains across markets shows just how cautious investors are,” Stan Shamu of IG Markets in Melbourne said in a report.

Concerns remain that Europe’s debt crisis is pushing the region toward recession, which would slow industrial activity in countries around the world that export to Europe.

Australian resource shares took a big hit after the country’s House of Representatives approved a proposal to impose a windfall profits tax on big mining companies. The Senate is expected to endorse the measure in early 2012.

BHP Billiton, the world’s largest mining company, fell 2.6 percent. Rival Rio Tinto lost 1.6 percent and Energy Resources of Australia slid 4.2 percent.

Benchmark oil for January delivery was down 65 cents to $97.36 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.09 to finish at $98.01 per barrel on the Nymex on Tuesday.

In currencies, the euro fell to $1.3466 from $1.3509 late Tuesday in New York. The dollar rose slightly to 76.99 yen from 76.97 yen.

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Enterprise Holdings’ revenue rose to $14.1 billion for its 2011 fiscal year, a record for the privately-held company and a 12 percent increase from 2010.

Clayton-based Enterprise’s brands include Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent a Car. Its fiscal 2010 revenue was $12.6 billion.

For its 2011 fiscal year that ended July 31, Enterprise grew its daily rental fleet by nearly 10 percent, to more than one million vehicles, the company said in a statement payday loans guaranteed no fax. The company had more than $2 billion in corporate travel revenues for fiscal 2011.

Enterprise, which is owned by the family of founder Jack Taylor, does not disclose profit figures.

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Wireless equipment maker LM Ericsson AB on Thursday reported a 4 percent rise in third-quarter profit as strong mobile broadband sales and increased market share offset weaker margins.

Ericsson said third-quarter net profit rose to 3.8 billion kronor ($574 million) from 3.7 billion kronor in the same period a year ago. Sales for the July-September period were particularly buoyant, increasing 17 percent to 55.5 billion kronor.

Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg said sales were driven by a continued strong demand for mobile broadband as well as increased services revenues.

“Our performance year-to-date reaffirms our indications of a strengthened global market share,” he said.

However, the increased share of services business, as well as a higher proportion of coverage projects and accelerating network modernization projects in Europe had a negative impact on the company’s gross margin, which decreased to 35 percent from 39 percent a year ago.

Greger Johansson, an analyst with research firm Redeye, said the margin was weaker than expected, which could lead to a slightly negative reaction in the stock market Faxless payday loans.

“The positive thing is that both sales and profits were clearly better than expected,” Johansson said. “The negative is the gross margin and the fact the company indicates it will remain weak going forward.”

He said the low-margin modernization projects in Europe also weighed on the result of Ericsson’s “most important segment,” networks.

The company also said the effects on its supply chain from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March had run their course.

Looking ahead, the company said it “cannot exclude somewhat more cautious short-term operator spending,” considering the economic uncertainties in parts of the world.

Ericsson is the world leader in rolling out and upgrading mobile network infrastructure as the world’s wireless users grow in number, boosting demand for ever-faster network speeds. Its biggest competitors are China’s Huawei and Finnish-German joint venture Nokia Siemens.

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