For the second day in a row, there is not a single post from Saul’s in the Top 25 of the Fool’s “Best Of” list. Indeed, there are almost no new posts on the entire board.
Has something happened? Have they decamped for another place even though the Fool says it is retaining that board? Or is it that the high-flier stocks have and continue to crater, presaging a mood shift in market investing in general?
Will angel investing and venture capital (at last) see diminishing inflows?
Is this a (pretty secret) tell? Or is something else going on?
In other news, I am seeing a lot of stealth employment going on. My Kroger just expanded hours, one more in the morning and one in the afternoon. That doesn’t seem like a lot, but at 10 or 20 employees in the store, that’s equivalent to a full week of employment for a person every day. Multiply by the number of stores, it’s “employment.”
Both Lowe’s and Home Depot have done the same; another hour later at night. So has my local Ace hardware. Multiply this across thousands and thousands of locations, you’re talking some serious paychecks.
Likewise I continue to see, although in fewer numbers, “Jobs” signs in front of fast food and other places. More often now I see “SignUp on Wednesday” or generic “We’re hiring” signs about.
At the street level, at least, it seems the economy is still kicking it. Reporting season is upon us, so the next couple weeks will be important: I’m predicting roaring profits, thanks to the “We’re having a price increase next week, so sign now” mantra that’s become popular. And, of course, actual price increases without the attendant cost increases that are fattening bottom lines everywhere except middle and low-end consumers paychecks.
And say, has anybody tried to hire a contractor lately? Whew!
