While there were a few earnings reports last week, the numbers should start flowing in earnest this week with companies like IBM, Google, Harley Davidson, Schwab and Schlumberger all scheduled to give us some insight into how the credit crunch and economic slowdown may or may not have affected them this quarter.
Of course, there is always room for counter trend reports. Polaris Industries, the snowmobile and ATV manufacturer released results this morning, beating expectations and guiding higher. Consumers stopped buying cratered technology stocks to buy houses in their place earlier this decade. While it’s doubtful, perhaps we’re buying snowmobiles and ATV’s this go around. I mean, we’ve got to have some fun, don’t we?
While earnings are now coming in earnest, the tax man’s deadline for his slice of your pie is also today, in case you forgot. Well, in actuality, the deadline is today only if you owe the government money. If you’re due a refund, the IRS will gladly allow you to postpone filing for your refund for a cool three years. The good news, however, is that if you file on time, you will likely get your rebate check sometime in May. I plan on running right out to buy 25 yards of mulch with my check. I can’t wait…
On the topic of taxes, I also saw a graph yesterday which showed how many days of each year we work to pay for our various obligations. On average, we work about 120 days of the year to pay for our federal, state and local income taxes, a number which far exceeds the next nearest category of housing and housing related expenses — at about 70 days. And all this time I thought I worked for my kids. Silly me. Did I mention that I intend to use the days the government is giving back to me this year to spread 25 yards of mulch? I can’t wait…
And speaking of spring cleaning, this morning’s New York Times reports that China plans to ban all commercial construction and will curtail coal burning emissions for two months prior to this summer’s Beijing Olympics.
Clean air. It does a body good.
