( UPPERCASE and ------> and [[ ]] added )


<<. . . .

------> ------> . . . . One commodity that economists rarely think of is CARDBOARD. According to Markets Insider [[ https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/recession-warning-cardboard-demand-economy-2008-financial-crisis-ecommerce-shipping-2023-1 ]] CARDBOARD BOX shipments are at the WORST they’ve been since 2009:

An under-the-radar economic indicator is flashing a warning signal to the broader economy as consumer spending slows down. The indicator in question? CARDBOARD BOXES. [[ https://www-freightwaves-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.freightwaves.com/news/cardboard-box-demand-plunging-at-rates-unseen-since-the-great-recession/amp ]]

------> ------> According to data from the FIBRE BOX ASSOCIATION, US cardboard box shipments declined 8.4% in the fourth-quarter, representing the LARGEST quarterly decline since the second quarter of 2009, amid the GREAT FINANCIAL CRISIS.

------> CARDBOARD BOXES are an overlooked barometer of the health of the economy as they are a MASSIVE component of consumer spending. Whether its ECOMMERCE or SHIPPING BULK GOODS TO STORES, cardboard boxes play a role.

------> DEMAND DROPPED for cardboard boxes at a time when ELEVATED INFLATION and HIGH INTEREST RATES [[ https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/causes-of-inflation?utm_medium=ingest&utm_source=markets ]] started to impact the spending habits of consumers. Retail sales have fallen in three of the past four months, which encapsulated the usually busy HOLIDAY SPENDING season.

COMPUTER CHIP SALES are also WAY DOWN. This past week INTEL CORP was warning [[ https://news.yahoo.com/intel-tumbles-forecast-suggests-comeback-212852496.html ]] of ONE OF ITS WORST QUARTERS coming up.

Intel Corp. is FORECASTING one of the worst quarters in its history, touching off a broader selloff of chips companies as a SLOWDOWN IN PERSONAL-COMPUTER SALES ravages the industry.

. . . .>>


https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/radar-economic-indicators-flashing-warning-signs-not-seen-since-2008/


BUT Jag’s reports are strong evidence that Apple/AAPL has been able to succeed where other tech companies have disappointed. Jag, have you seen any clues pointing to Apple’s _guidance_ for the next quarter?