Recent Tony Paradiso Columns

Worst averted for 2012

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, February 12, 2012

I’ve dragged my feet on offering an assessment for 2012 because gauging the severity of Europe’s impact has been daunting. I originally thought they would …

Facebook could be the next Google

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, February 5, 2012

The most anticipated IPO since Google is in motion. Facebook is going public and its 27-year-old founder – Mark Zuckerberg – will enter the rarified …

What a state DC is in

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, January 29, 2012

More discouraging than the president’s campaign speech – I mean State of the Union address – was the Republican response. Though greatly flawed, the president …

Things to watch

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, January 15, 2012

Given the lack of notable news, this week I’m going to highlight some key data points to watch during the year. But first, I want …

2012 brings hope

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, January 8, 2012

With a new year upon us, hope, as they say, springs eternal. Regular readers know I don’t place much value in hope. I prefer reality …

The gift that keeps on giving

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas -- or should I say -- Happy Holidays. As my last column of 2011, I want to end the year on a more …

Job figures not yet clear

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, December 11, 2011

Last week, I made a weak attempt at using a game show variation as a writing device. The goal was to illustrate how media headlines …

Banks buying time for Europe

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, December 4, 2011

Today, we’re going to play a game called headline reality. At the risk of dating myself, it’s a variation on “To Tell the Truth” wherein …

Rough week for stocks

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, November 27, 2011

Thanksgiving marked a brief respite for stock owners to recharge and recover from a rough week in the financial markets. December can’t come soon enough. …

Nerves still on edge over Europe

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, November 20, 2011

Last week’s column ended with a heads-up to watch the next day’s Italian bond auction. That auction went off reasonably well, and the markets spent …

No news coming out of Republican debate

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, November 13, 2011

I was terribly disappointed with the CNBC-hosted Republican debate. Granted, the debate – focused solely on economic issues – was probably the most substantive to …

Greece dilemma all about politics

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, November 6, 2011

Democracy must rule! On second thought, we don’t need no stinkin’ referendum! It appears that the Greek prime minister doesn’t know which end is up. …

Europe tops list of good news

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, October 30, 2011

In fairness to Rick Perry, I was planning to review his tax plan. That, and I could use a good laugh. But the veritable avalanche …

‘9-9-9’ is a no-no-no

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, October 23, 2011

I’m constantly amazed by how little those who run for public office understand about economics. Come to think of it, I’m constantly amazed by how …

‘Jobs czar’ Jeff Immelt on top of things

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, October 16, 2011

I was riveted by the “60 Minutes” interview of jobs czar General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt. It’s no accident this pioneering show has lasted so …

With Steve Jobs’ passing, Apple shines a little less

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, October 9, 2011

There are very few people to whom I would tip my cap. With Steve Jobs’ passing, there is one fewer. Admittedly, during my career in …

Good news turns to bad

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, October 2, 2011

With a string of encouraging economic reports, and in the spirit of optimism, I had planned to focus solely on good news this week. But …

Officials fiddle while US squirms

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, September 25, 2011

The president’s proposed deficit reduction plan seems more political theater than a genuine effort at deficit reduction. Like most of his predecessors, the president seems …

Plan for a great nation

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, September 18, 2011

Before delving into the president’s jobs plan, a comment on optimism. Readers know I’m no “Mary Sunshine.” Logic and reality rule my thinking. I focus …

Keeping hope for future

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, September 11, 2011

The president took a kitchen sink approach with his jobs plan: ask for a bunch of things and settle for a few. Given the dysfunction …

Where the Fed will focus this fall

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, September 4, 2011

The financial markets have returned to treating bad news as good and vice versa. The reason: they believe that bad news will force the Fed’s …

Your campaign money might be better spent in housing

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, August 28, 2011

Congratulations to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz for calling upon his CEO colleagues to boycott campaign contributions until our elected officials start acting like leaders rather …

Will PIGS fly?

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, August 21, 2011

About the only good that comes from times like this is that columns write themselves. Well, good for me. The best analogy I can think …

Manic markets make no sense

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, August 14, 2011

Setting a record, the Dow had 400-plus point swings in opposite directions on four consecutive days. Ponder that for a second. Days after averting default, …

Scary market decline

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, August 7, 2011

Reading last week’s Wall Street Journal headlines was like reading a summary of the last six months of this column: “Home Listings Fall but Woes …

It’s the jobs, stupid

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, July 31, 2011

There were several interesting jobs-related articles in the Wall Street Journal last week. Collectively, they made me laugh. But it wasn’t the “that’s hilarious” kind …

China’s economic fortune cookie

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, July 24, 2011

A couple of weeks ago I’d originally started my column by indicating my call for a second-half downturn might be wrong. But then the June …

The more things change

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, July 17, 2011

Roger Clemens may have dodged a bullet without the help of steroids. Prosecutors pulled a Bill Buckner – which may end the entire affair on …

Jobs hinder debt deal

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, July 10, 2011

With retail sales, factory orders and manufacturing metrics indicating we may be exiting the economic soft patch, the second half was off to a promising …

Business is back to order

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, July 3, 2011

So that release from the strategic oil reserve certainly did the trick. When I said it was a political move whose impact would be fleeting, …

Obvious eludes the Fed

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Fed spoke, and everyone listened. But if anyone expected good news, they walked away disappointed. In a shocking announcement, the Federal Reserve lowered its …

Debate lacked fresh ideas

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, June 19, 2011

Did you catch the Republican presidential debate? I did, and the experience was comparable to having one’s teeth drilled. Let me recap for those who …

A note to the Fed chair

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, June 12, 2011

Dear Ben Bernanke: I’m a bit confused and I’m hoping you can help clarify things. In your recent speech you set a dour tone. Sure, …

Signs point to another slump

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, June 5, 2011

Last week I blamed the Democratic Party exclusively for putting politics over the country’s well-being and this was unfair. True, the Dems are attempting to …

Clinton: Default no big deal

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, May 29, 2011

Former President Bill Clinton has been in a bit of a press coverage dry spell. Last week he broke out of his slump in a …

Oil’s strange brew

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, May 22, 2011

There were some strange happenings in the oil markets last week. Well, strange if you believe the oil mavens are more competent than your average …

Big oil pushes shared wealth

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, May 15, 2011

I’m neither a defender nor a basher of Big Oil. Yes, they earn enormous sums but as a percentage of revenue their profits pale in …

It’s a multi-market miracle

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, May 8, 2011

Contact the beatification committee because a miracle occurred last week. In a single day, the demand for oil dropped almost 9 percent. This caused oil …

Inflation causes seen as fleeting

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, May 1, 2011

In case you hadn’t noticed, the economy wasn’t stellar in the first quarter. Gross domestic product grew a modest 1.8 percent, or about half the …

Debt report is no surprise

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, April 24, 2011

Stop the presses! Lindsay Lohan has been arrested, Capitol Hill is gridlocked, and George W. Bush is still stupid. Not exactly news? Well, neither was …

Obama weighs in on budget

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, April 17, 2011

Another corner was heard from regarding the federal budget. Someone named Barack Obama has injected his views. I’ve heard rumors that Mr. …

Agenda distracts from budget

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, April 10, 2011

I suppose I should comment on the federal budget battle – but to what end? It’s nothing more than business as usual with all parties …

Good advice isn’t cheap

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, April 3, 2011

Relatively speaking, it was a quiet news week. Air strikes in the Middle East, nuclear fallout in Japan – you know, the usual. Not surprisingly, …

Japan will have global impact economy

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, March 20, 2011

As much as my preference was to choose a frivolous topic to take our minds off the Japanese tragedy, I couldn’t. Beyond the human suffering, …

Should you buy on the dip?

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, March 13, 2011

Buy-buy-buy. That was the theme on CNBC last week. Isn’t it amazing that regardless which direction the market is moving or how big the moves …

Wishful thinking

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, March 6, 2011

Lord help us. It’s as if all of America has caught Charlie Sheen Disease. A recent WSJ/NBC poll indicated that less than a quarter of …

End of federal subsidies will sting

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, February 27, 2011

Last week was ugly. There’s always one party-pooper in the crowd. Usually it’s me, but this time it was Moammar Gadhafi. …

Leadership lessons from the cinema

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, February 20, 2011

It was a busy week on the economic front. The president presented his idea of a fiscally responsible budget. Some interesting inflation data was released. …

States favor cuts over tax hikes

Tony Paradiso | Sunday, February 13, 2011

It appears that the old saying that when fate hands you lemons, successful people make lemonade may be holding true. History may conclude that the …