Amherst Pierpont Securities' chief....>

US DATA REACT: Amherst Pierpont Securities' chief economist Stephen Stanley on

Dec trade gap is wider than estimated. "Both exports and imports of goods

surged.  The former mainly reflects the robust global economy, as the U.S. sent

more industrial supplies and aircraft overseas.  Meanwhile, the import surge

reflects a strong domestic economy, as capital goods, autos, and consumer goods

imports all posted significant rises." According to Stanley, "Relative to BEA

assumptions used for Q4 GDP estimates, the trade gap was a little worse in

December, but the change is not worth much for the GDP tracking estimate."

Stanley is currently "at 2.5%, down a tick from the preliminary print of 2.6%."