Hall of "R"

A list of countries enters the hall of recession:-

1. Singapore

SINGAPORE, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Singapore eased monetary policy on Friday for the first time since 2003 after the Southeast Asian economy sunk into its first recession in six years and as the meltdown in financial markets threatened to further hit growth.

2. Hong Kong

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong joined the growing list of economies that have slipped into recession as growth in the third quarter was hit by softening global demand for goods and services, prompting the government to cut its economic growth forecast for 2008.

Hong Kong's gross domestic product fell 0.5% from the previous quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis, following a fall of 1.4% in the second quarter, according to government data released Friday.

3. Germany

BERLIN: The German economy, the largest in Europe, has entered a recession, according to data published Thursday that showed gross domestic product shrank for a second straight quarter as the global financial crisis intensified.

The Federal Statistics Office reported that German gross domestic product contracted 0.5 percent in the third quarter - more than the 0.2 percent decline that had been anticipated. That follows a decline in the second quarter of 0.4 percent, a slight revision from the 0.5 percent drop previously announced.

4.Euro

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The 15 countries that use the euro are officially in a recession, the European Union said Friday, as their economies shrank for a second straight quarter because of the world financial crisis and sinking demand.

5. ........................(You figure this out,OK?)

The big buying opportunity is getting nearer. Buffett wrote to his shareholders in 1997 on how to think about market fluctuations.

A short quiz: If you plan to eat hamburgers throughout your life and are not a cattle producer, should you wish for higher or lower prices for beef? Likewise, if you are going to buy a car from time to time but are not an auto manufacturer, should you prefer higher or lower car prices? These questions, of course, answer themselves.

But now for the final exam: If you expect to be a net saver during the next five years, should you hope for a higher or lower stock market during that period? Many investors get this one wrong. Even though they are going to be net buyers of stocks for many years to come, they are elated when stock prices rise and depressed when they fall. In effect, they rejoice because prices have risen for the "hamburgers" they will soon be buying. This reaction makes no sense. Only those who will be sellers of equities in the near future should be happy at seeing stocks rise. Prospective purchasers should much prefer sinking prices.