おはようございます。
8250億ドル景気刺激策の「バイ・アメリカ」条項を巡り、企業・組合間の衝突が続いています。「バイ・アメリカ」とは米国製品の購入を義務付ける条項です。ボーイング、GE、キャタピラーなどの世界的に競争力がある企業は条項に反対し、IAM（国際機械工労組）やAISI（アメリカ鉄鋼協会）は賛成しています。「バイ・アメリカ」条項で一番被害を受けるのは、部外者になっているアメリカの消費者だと思うのですが……。
11月の米S&Pケース・シラー住宅価格指数、前月比2.2％低下 サンベルトが最も深刻、１月の消費者信頼感指数は過去最低の37.7に低下
S&P/Case-Shiller Indexes Show Home-Price Declines Continue (WSJ.com)
Home-price declines worsened in November, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home-price indexes, as numerous regions in the country saw record monthly drops. The Sun Belt continues to be hit hardest, and nationally, home prices are at levels similar to the first quarter of 2004.
Separately, U.S. consumer confidence levels again plumbed the depths in January, as households fretted over the current and future state of the economy.
"The freefall in residential real estate continued through November," said David M. Blitzer, chairman of S&P's index committee. Both composite indexes and 11 of the 20 metropolitan areas reported record year-over-year declines.
to fret over: ～を懸念する
freefall: 暴落
metropolitan area: 大都市圏
米小売売上高、更なる落ち込みが予想される NRF主席エコノミスト
Retail Sales Are Expected to Drop Further in U.S. (WSJ.com)
"Most of the consumer behavior we saw in 2008 will continue for at least the first half of the year," said Rosalind Wells, chief economist at the trade group (the National Retail Federation), which is to release the forecast Tuesday.
In her first negative outlook in the 15 years she has produced forecasts for the group, Ms. Wells is predicting sales in the first half of the year will decline 2.5%, followed by a 1.1% drop in the third quarter and a 3.6% increase in the fourth quarter. Her forecast excludes sales of automobiles, gasoline and restaurants.
Ms. Wells said her view is based on the government's economic-recovery package kicking in and strengthening the economy. "The risk is that it could be lower," Ms. Wells acknowledged. "In a very volatile time when things are changing constantly day to day, there is bound to be something that we don't expect."
National Retail Federation: NRF、全米小売業協会
economic-recovery package: 経済再生計画
※ウェルズ氏は2008年１月に楽観的な予測を発表しています。
米ベライゾンの10－12月期、純利益15％増 好調な携帯電話事業
Verizon Quarterly Earnings Rise 15% (CNNMoney.com)
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones) -- Verizon Communications Inc. on Tuesday posted a 15% increase in fourth-quarter profit driven by healthy wireless gains, but the company's traditional local-phone business continued to shrink rapidly.
In the final three months of 2008, New York-based Verizon posted net income of $1.24 billion, or 43 cents a share, up from $1.07 billion, or 37 cents a share, in the same period a year earlier.
Revenue rose 3.4% to $24.65 billion, with wireless sales jumping 12.3% to account for more than half of the company's total.
wireless gains: 携帯電話部門の収益
traditional local-phone business: 従来の固定電話サービス事業
米サン・マイクロシステムズの10－12月期、最終赤字2.09億ドル 人員削減に基づく費用計上
Sun Microsystems swings to $209M quarterly loss (The Associated Press)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Sun Microsystems Inc. swung to loss of $209 million in the latest quarter as the company absorbed a big restructuring charge for job cuts and grappled with falling demand for its servers and data-storage machines.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based computing company said after the market closed Tuesday that its loss amounted to 28 cents per share in the latest quarter. In the comparable period a year earlier Sun had a profit of $260 million, 31 cents per share.
The latest figures were weighed down by a $222 million restructuring charge. Sun, the world's fourth-largest server maker, revealed in November that it is cutting up to 6,000 of its 33,000 workers over the next year. The cuts will save up to $800 million a year.
restructuring charge: 再編計画の費用
to amount to: 総額～になる
to weigh down: ～を減らす
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良い一日を(o^-')b