• Global Business Confidence
• Businesses remain darkly pessimistic across the globe. If there is a distinction it is that Asian businesses are a bit less negative than businesses everywhere else. Sentiment is weakest among those who work in government, but it is poor across all industries. Businesses remain very negative on everything from sales to hiring and investment. Pricing power has evaporated with about one-third of respondents saying they are cutting prices for their goods and services.

• The Conference Board Leading Indicators +0.4%
• The Conference Board index of leading indicators surprised on the upside in January, jumping 0.4%. However, for the second straight month, the increase was too narrowly based to suggest that a bottom is coming into view. Even so, only five of the other nine components contributed negatively, reinforcing our belief that the downturn is no longer intensifying.

• Import and Export Prices -1.1%
• Import prices declined a smaller than expected 1.1% in January, following December's downwardly revised -5% (previously -4.2%). Import prices have declined for six consecutive months, bringing year- over-year growth to -12.5%, the greatest contraction on record. The persistent decline in import prices will heighten concerns that the economy is headed toward a deflationary trap. The Federal Reserve will respond by pumping more liquidity into the banking system and increasing rhetoric on the importance of price stability.

• PPI +0.8%
• Producer prices for finished goods rose for the first time in six months during January (0.8%). The increase in top-line producer prices was led by rising prices for energy products, which bounced back a bit after falling rapidly at the end of 2008. When food and energy prices are excluded, core inflation remained positive at 0.4%. Although core prices for finished goods have not begun to fall, core prices among intermediate products fell sharply for the fourth month in a row.

• Industrial Production-1.8%
• Total industrial production fell 1.8% in January, and manufacturing output fell 2.5%, with significant downward revisions to prior months. Although recent reports show somewhat less of an inventory overhang, the amount of destocking needed is still substantial. An inventory correction looks set to reinforce weakness in demand to keep manufacturing output declining for at least the next few months.

• Jobless Claims 627K
• Initial claims for jobless benefits remained at 627,000 for the week ending February 14, exceeding expectations for a small decline. Continuing claims rose by 170,000 to 4.987 million for the week ending February 7, setting another new high. The labor market is clearly weakening rapidly.

• New Residential Construction (C20) -17%
• January was another bad month for homebuilders, with housing starts dropping to a new postwar low. Housing starts declined to 466,000 annualized units, a 17% decline from December and worse than expected. The Census Bureau revised December starts slightly upward. Permit issuance was down as well in January compared with December. Exceptionally weak demand is constraining homebuilding. Slower construction will help clear the housing market of excess inventories and set the stage for stronger activity down the line, but in the meantime, the economy is suffering from dismally weak residential construction.

• MBA Mortgage Applications Survey +45.7%
• In the week ending February 13, the MBA market index rose 45.7% to 875.3. Driven by declines in contract rates, both parts of the composite index also increased this week. The purchase index rose 9.1% this week to close at 257.3. Meanwhile, the refinance index finished at 4,472.9, a 64.3% increase over the previous week. Once again, 30-year fixed rates are below 5%.

• Chain Store Sales +0.9%
• Chain store sales rose 0.9% in the week ending February 14, lifted by favorable weather, discounting and Valentine's Day. The year-ago decline shrank to 0.9%, the smallest decline in six weeks, as a result of the gain. Despite the improvement, sales are still falling, a sign of very restrained spending.

• Oil and Gas Inventories -200kb
• Crude oil inventories fell by 200,000 barrels during the week ending February 13, according to the Energy Information Administration, falling well below expectations of a 3 million barrel build. Gasoline inventories unexpectedly rose by 1.1 million barrels. Distillate inventories fell by 800,000 barrels, in line with expectations. Refinery operating capacity rose to 82.3% after falling sharply to 81.6% last week. Total domestic petroleum demand rose. This is the first bullish report in months.

• Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report - 24bvf
• Working gas in underground storage decreased by 24 billion cubic feet during the week ending February 13. The consensus estimate was for a decline of 57 billion cubic feet.

• Trader Joe's
• Trader Joe's operates 300 locations nationwide.
• The specialty supermarkets, offering organic produce, pizza, imported cheeses, as well as general grocery items, occupy spaces of 10,000 sq.ft. to 14,000 sq.ft. in inline spaces of mixed-use, specialty and strip centers in addition to freestanding locations.
• Growth opportunities are sought throughout the existing market during the coming 18 months, with representation by IDS Real Estate Group.
• A land area of 1.75 acres is required for freestanding locations.
• Preferred demographics include a population of 100,000 within a four-mile radius.
• For more information, contact
  • Silva Zeneian,
  • IDS Real Estate Group,
  • 515 South Figueroa Street, 16th Floor,
  • Los Angeles, CA 90071;
  • Web site: www.idsrealestate.com

Improve Wind Energy!

20% Wind by 2030: Overcoming the Challenges

• POSTED: 12/30/2008
• FUNDING SOURCE: Golden Field Office
• ELIGIBILITY: Nonprofits, for-profits, and public agencies
• $ AVAILABLE: N.A.
• GRANTS AVAILABLE: N.A.
• MAX GRANT SIZE: $500,000
• DEADLINE: 3/3/09
• CONTACT INFORMATION:
• http://www.grants.gov/search/searc h.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=true&oppId=18714
• DESCRIPTION: Grants for a wide array of near- to medium-term actions to significantly accelerate use of wind energy technologies.

Improve Student Preparation for Math and Science!

Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program

• POSTED: 2/11/2009
• FUNDING SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
• ELIGIBILITY: LEAs and SEAs
• $ AVAILABLE: $1,000,000
• GRANTS AVAILABLE: 10
• MAX GRANT SIZE: N.A.
• DEADLINE: 3/11/09
• CONTACT INFORMATION: http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/instruction s/oppDTFH61-09-RA-00003-cfda20.200- instructions.pdf
• DESCRIPTION: Grants to improve the preparation of students, particularly women and minorities, in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through curriculum development and other activities related to transportation.

Encourage Foreign Visitors!

Sports, Cultural and Youth Visitor Program

• POSTED: 2/12/2009
• FUNDING SOURCE: Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (BECA)
• ELIGIBILITY: Nonprofit and public agencies
• $ AVAILABLE: $1,130,000
• GRANTS AVAILABLE: 1
• MAX GRANT SIZE: $1,130,000
• DEADLINE: 4/2/09
• CONTACT INFORMATION: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-3059.htm
• DESCRIPTION: One grant to assist the Office of Citizen Exchanges in the implementation of several short- term, high-visibility cultural, sports, and youth exchanges taking place during calendar year 2009 and 2010.