Market Watch with Tom Waitt

April_13th_2011.mp3 Confidence?    U.S. equities have doubled since lows reached two years ago. Canadian stocks as measured by the S&P/TSX Composite are up 91%.   Retail Sales (Click For Larger Picture) It has been two years since the financial crisis hit panic levels. North American equities have recovered the losses by doubling in value from the lows. However not all individuals or mutual funds have recovered their losses. Over the last decade uncertainty and fear has ruled, pundits have caused the markets to climb a wall of worry. Despite record job losses, the housing meltdown, mortgage foreclosures, bank failures, bailouts of the auto industry, Mideast unrest and revolutions, Japanese earthquakes and tsunamis, nuclear meltdowns stocks have doubled. The markets have prevailed; has confidence returned? Most market pundits are still negative warning of the inflationary consequences of easy money and lack of buying power of consumers. Despite this Retail Sales are up 7% from a