Economics Update

First, Calculated Risk's Credit Crisis Indicators are either flat or down, and the 3 month treasure note is still at 0.005%, which means that people basically put their cash in a mattress, so that is how freaked investors are, and how much they look for a safe haven.

Of course, what with the Bank of England cutting its rate by 100 basis points to 2%, it's not like there is a whole bunch out there that is going to generate decent return anyway.

The weekly jobless claims posted a surprise drop, but continuing claims rose to a 26 year high.

Additionally, we have factory orders falling by the most in 8 years, which is completely unsurprising, as factories do not order much if consumers are not buying, and we are seeing double digit drops in buying this holiday season.

Considering that demand for commodities is falling with the economy, it's not a surprise that oil has fallen to less than $44/bbl, and retail gasoline price has falls below $1.80/gallon.