betide
bi-TYD
To happen.
From Old English
tidan (happen), from tid (time).
Betide is often
shortened to tide or tidings. Such as when Linus Van Pelt declared in a Charlie
Brown Christmas: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great
joy!”
_______________________________________________
TIP OF THE WEEK
Good tidings for
the restaurant industry.
Driven by stronger
sales and traffic and a more optimistic outlook among restaurant operators, the
National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) posted a
solid gain in October. The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the
health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at
102.8 in October, up 1.8 percent from its September level. In addition, the RPI
stood above 100 for the 20th consecutive month, which signifies expansion in the
index of key industry indicators.
According to the
SBA, restaurants obtain more SBA 7(a) loans that any other business
type.
If you would like
a copy of the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index for
October let me know.
_____________________________________
Indices:
PRIME
RATE= 3.25%
SBA
LIBOR Base Rate December 2014 = 3.16%
SBA
Fixed Base Rate December 2014 = 5.19%
________________________________________
SBA 504 Loan
Debenture Rate for November
The debenture rate
is only 2.80% but note rate is 2.84% and the effective yield is
4.879%.
________________________________________________
AHEAD
OF THE YIELD CURVE
Glad tidings are
the only possible way to describe the report on employment for the month of
November.
According to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment increased 321,000. Jobs added last month
were the most since January 2012 and only the second time this year that
one-month gains exceeded 300,000.
Here is a summary
of net payroll employment and this week’s interesting little table of
data:
November
321,000
October
243,000
September
271,,000
August
180,000
July
243,000
June
288,000
May
224,000
April
304,000
March
203,000
February
222,000
January
144,000
2013
2,074,000
2012
2,193,000
2011
2,103,000
2010
1,022,000
2009
-5,052,000
2008
-3,617,000
2007
1,115,000
2006
2,071,000
2005
2,484,000
2004
2,019,000
What does this
mean?
I don’t
know.
This was the tenth
consecutive month over 200,000, and an all time record 50th consecutive month of
job gains. This is the best year since 1999. Private employment is up 10.9
million from the recession low.
Does that mean
interest rates will be going up soon?
The Federal
Reserve meets next week and officials are expected to debate retaining their
“considerable time” commitment. The FOMC statement issued October
29th repeated that officials expect to keep rates near zero “for a
considerable time. One of their concerns is that inflation remains below their
target of 2%. The Fed’s preferred gauge of price pressures facing U.S.
consumers rose 1.4 percent in October from the same period a year ago and has
not been above 2 percent since March 2012.
In the meantime,
keep your eyes and ears open for this week’s sale of 30 year Treasury
bonds.
Last month the
Treasury Department’s $16 billion sale of 30-year notes sold at a yield of
3.092%. Since then the 30 year yield has drifted around
2.97%.
The long bond
yield has dropped more than 90 basis points since the start of the year. July’s
auction sold at a yield of 3.369%. April’s $13 billion auction of 30 year
Treasury bonds sold at a yield of 3.525%. In March the auction drew a yield of 3.630% compared to February’s yield
of 3.69%. January’s auction sold at a yield of 3.899% compared to December’s
3.90%.
This distinct
flattening of the long end of the yield curve implies investors are rethinking
the timing of Federal Reserve interest-rate hikes.
__________________________________________
OFF
BASE
We
now only use the word 'tide' to denote the regular rising and falling of the
sea. We can get a better understanding of what 'tide' and 'betide' mean by
substituting 'tide' with 'time', which is just what the mediaeval clerics did -
the two words were near enough synonymous. Knowing that 'tide' means 'period of
time' or 'season', we can see that a lunar tide can be translated as 'a period
of approximately twelve and a half hours' . The tide/time transliteration also
survives in 'good tidings', that is, 'a good time.
Betide
is hardly ever used anymore except as 'woe betide you' as 'you are in for a bad
time'. Woe betide you if you don’t get the meaning of
Christmas.
Charlie
Brown, frustrated, screams out in classic Charlie Brown fashion: “Isn't there
anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”
Linus
replies: “Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all
about.”
"And
there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch
over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the
glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the
angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the
City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto
you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.'
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising
God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men.'"
Linus
picks up his blanket and walks back towards Charlie
Brown
“That's
what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”