Morning Journal-Smaller government and the political class

Economics

This Week’s Data

Other

Chinese buyers defaulting on commodity shipments (medium):
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/chinese-buyers-defaulting-commodity-shipments-prices-plunge

Weekly gasoline update (short):
http://advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/Gasoline-Update.php

Vehicle miles driven (short):
http://advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/DOT-Miles-Driven.php

Politics

Domestic

More on the tax math of ‘ex-patriot’ Facebook founder (short):
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/05/punitive-liberalism-updated.php

The congressional threat to us all (medium):
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/05/congressional-threat-to-every-investor-business-owner-and-citizen/

Smaller government and the political class (medium):
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-americans-want-smaller-government-and-lower-taxes

News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

More earnings per share reports:

Reported Expected

Lowe’s $.44 $.41
Medtronic .99 .98

Steve Cook received his education in investments from Harvard, where he earned an MBA, New York University, where he did post graduate work in economics and financial analysis and the CFA Institute, where he earned the Chartered Financial Analysts designation in 1973. His 40 years of investment experience includes institutional portfolio management at Scudder, Stevens and Clark and Bear Stearns. Steve's goal at Strategic Stock Investments is to help other investors build wealth and benefit from the investing lessons he learned the hard way.