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        <title>A Top 30 Stream of PNC Press Releases (in OGG format) via PRWeb</title>
        <link>http://www.prwebpodcast.com</link>
        <description>A Top 30 Stream of PNC Press Releases (in OGG format) via PRWeb</description>
        <managingEditor>podEditor@emediawire.com (PRWeb)</managingEditor>
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        <pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:00:01 -0700</pubDate>
        <category>PNC</category>
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        <itunes:subtitle>A Top 30 Stream of PNC Press Releases (in OGG format) via PRWeb</itunes:subtitle>
        <itunes:summary>A Top 30 Stream of PNC Press Releases (in OGG format) via PRWeb</itunes:summary>
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          <itunes:email>podEditor@emediawire.com</itunes:email>
          <itunes:name>PR Web</itunes:name>
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        <itunes:author>PRWeb</itunes:author>
        <itunes:category text="PNC" />
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                        <title>Main Street vs. Wall Street: U.S. Small Business Owners Indicate Less Angst about Credit Availability and Housing Market Issues </title>
                        <link>http://www.prweb.com/releases/Economic/Outlook/prweb558011.htm</link>
                        <comments>http://www.prweb.com/releases/Economic/Outlook/prweb558011.htm</comments>
                        <description>PNC Economist Stuart Hoffman sees slow growth, no recession in 10th edition of survey of small to mid-size business owners across the nation. [PRWeb Oct 4, 2007]</description>
                        <guid>http://www.prweb.com/releases/Economic/Outlook/prweb558011.htm</guid>
                        <pubDate>Tue,  2 Oct 2007 15:07:29 -0700</pubDate>
                        <author>podcrew@extrahoop.com</author>
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                        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Pittsburgh, Pa (PRWEB) October 4, 2007 -- The well-publicized anxiety on Wall Street about credit availability and the housing market has yet to translate into the same degree of concern along Main Street among the nation&#039;s small and mid-sized business owners, according to the PNC Economic Outlook survey. 

Steady interest rates and lower energy prices contributed to their stable outlook for sales and profits during the next six months compared to last Spring&#039;s survey. Their view is more positive compared to one year ago. Plans for hiring full-time employees, however, are down slightly from the Spring and on par with a year ago.

&quot;Small business owners are not yet ringing the recession bell,&quot; said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist for the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). &quot;Based on our survey results, we expect the economy to remain on a path of slow but sustained economic growth.&quot;

Key Findings: Credit and Housing
Wall Street&#039;s credit squeeze and housing slump have yet to raise the same concerns among small business owners, he added, citing PNC&#039;s survey results. The study has been conducted every six months since April 2003 to gauge the mood and sentiment among small business owners who represent the bedrock of the American economy. Highlights include:

&#8226; Credit Crunch - Not On Main Street: Nearly nine out of 10 (87 percent) business owners who need credit say availability is the same or easier to get than three months ago, while only 13 percent said it is more difficult now. At the same time, plans for capital spending have steadily increased from PNC&#039;s last two surveys with technology remaining the top priority.
&#8226; Falling House Prices - Limited Small Business Impact: The business owners&#039; tempered view on the housing market is evident by the four out of 10 (43 percent) who expect local house prices to decline during the next 6-12 months while one-third (34 percent) expect prices to be flat. One out of four (23 percent) expect local prices to rise. Of those who expect a decline in house prices, less than a quarter (22 percent) expect it will adversely impact their sales and profits.

Stable Expectations
Reflecting stable interest rates and lower energy prices, business owners&#039; expectations for sales and profits are on par with the Spring results and higher than one year ago, PNC found. With hiring, however, 27 percent expect an increase during the next six months compared to 32 percent in Spring and 25 percent last Autumn. PNC also found:

&#8226; Active Capital Spending Plans:  Four out of five (80 percent) plan to make some type of investments in their business, up from 70 percent last Autumn. Technology equipment, mentioned by 26 percent of business owners, is most likely to receive the largest spending increase over the next six months with other types of business equipment (14 percent) a distant second, followed by physical plant and employee training (each at 10 percent). 
&#8226; Continued Cost Pressures: Nearly two out of three (64 percent) expect to pay higher prices to suppliers, little changed from our two previous surveys. These results likely reflect limited declines in energy and other raw materials prices. Over half  (51 percent) expect an increase in employee compensation and healthcare costs (60 percent), little changed from 54% and 57 percent, respectively, a year ago.
&#8226; Price Hikes for Customers: A stable 40 percent plan to pass along some portion of their higher costs in the form of higher selling prices to customers. Of those who plan to raise prices, nearly one-fifth (21 percent) report favorable market conditions will allow... To read the press release in full goto http://www.prweb.com/releases/Economic/Outlook/prweb558011.htm]]></content:encoded>
                        <itunes:author>Michelle Deemer</itunes:author>
                        <itunes:subtitle>Main Street vs. Wall Street: U.S. Small Business Owners Indicate Less Angst about Credit Availability and Housing Market Issues </itunes:subtitle>
                        <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Pittsburgh, Pa (PRWEB) October 4, 2007 -- The well-publicized anxiety on Wall Street about credit availability and the housing market has yet to translate into the same degree of concern along Main Street among the nation&#039;s small and mid-sized business owners, according to the PNC Economic Outlook survey. 

Steady interest rates and lower energy prices contributed to their stable outlook for sales and profits during the next six months compared to last Spring&#039;s survey. Their view is more positive compared to one year ago. Plans for hiring full-time employees, however, are down slightly from the Spring and on par with a year ago.

&quot;Small business owners are not yet ringing the recession bell,&quot; said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist for the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). &quot;Based on our survey results, we expect the economy to remain on a path of slow but sustained economic growth.&quot;

Key Findings: Credit and Housing
Wall Street&#039;s credit squeeze and housing slump have yet to raise the same concerns among small business owners, he added, citing PNC&#039;s survey results. The study has been conducted every six months since April 2003 to gauge the mood and sentiment among small business owners who represent the bedrock of the American economy. Highlights include:

&#8226; Credit Crunch - Not On Main Street: Nearly nine out of 10 (87 percent) business owners who need credit say availability is the same or easier to get than three months ago, while only 13 percent said it is more difficult now. At the same time, plans for capital spending have steadily increased from PNC&#039;s last two surveys with technology remaining the top priority.
&#8226; Falling House Prices - Limited Small Business Impact: The business owners&#039; tempered view on the housing market is evident by the four out of 10 (43 percent) who expect local house prices to decline during the next 6-12 months while one-third (34 percent) expect prices to be flat. One out of four (23 percent) expect local prices to rise. Of those who expect a decline in house prices, less than a quarter (22 percent) expect it will adversely impact their sales and profits.

Stable Expectations
Reflecting stable interest rates and lower energy prices, business owners&#039; expectations for sales and profits are on par with the Spring results and higher than one year ago, PNC found. With hiring, however, 27 percent expect an increase during the next six months compared to 32 percent in Spring and 25 percent last Autumn. PNC also found:

&#8226; Active Capital Spending Plans:  Four out of five (80 percent) plan to make some type of investments in their business, up from 70 percent last Autumn. Technology equipment, mentioned by 26 percent of business owners, is most likely to receive the largest spending increase over the next six months with other types of business equipment (14 percent) a distant second, followed by physical plant and employee training (each at 10 percent). 
&#8226; Continued Cost Pressures: Nearly two out of three (64 percent) expect to pay higher prices to suppliers, little changed from our two previous surveys. These results likely reflect limited declines in energy and other raw materials prices. Over half  (51 percent) expect an increase in employee compensation and healthcare costs (60 percent), little changed from 54% and 57 percent, respectively, a year ago.
&#8226; Price Hikes for Customers: A stable 40 percent plan to pass along some portion of their higher costs in the form of higher selling prices to customers. Of those who plan to raise prices, nearly one-fifth (21 percent) report favorable market conditions will allow... To read the press release in full goto http://www.prweb.com/releases/Economic/Outlook/prweb558011.htm]]></itunes:summary>

                        <itunes:category text="Business" />

                        <itunes:duration>00:15:00</itunes:duration>
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                        <title>Small Retailers Express Greatest Concerns About Impact of Federal Minimum Wage Hike</title>
                        <link>http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/4/prweb516016.htm</link>
                        <comments>http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/4/prweb516016.htm</comments>
                        <description>Semi-annual PNC Economic Outlook shows rebounds among all small businesses for sales, profits and hiring amid stable interest rates and lower energy prices compared to six months ago.  Concerns about a federal minimum wage hike are limited to the retail and wholesale industries. [PRWeb Apr 5, 2007]</description>
                        <guid>http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/4/prweb516016.htm</guid>
                        <pubDate>Wed,  4 Apr 2007 16:22:51 -0700</pubDate>
                        <author>podcrew@extrahoop.com</author>
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                        <content:encoded><![CDATA[Pittsburgh (PRWeb) April 5, 2007 -- As Congress considers the first federal minimum wage increase in 10 years, most small business owners across the United States foresee minimal impact on their business except retailers who expect to raise prices and reduce hiring, according to the semiannual PNC Economic Outlook survey.

Amid stable interest rates and lower energy prices, down from last year&#039;s highs, the overall views, meanwhile, of small and mid-sized business owners reflected a boost in  expectations for their sales, profits and hiring of new employees during the next six months.

&quot;Despite lingering concerns about higher energy prices and interest rates, small business owners are more positive on the near-term outlook for their businesses and the U.S. economy. This is additional evidence supporting our view of a &#039;soft landing&#039; for the U.S. economy even in the midst of growing problems with subprime mortgage delinquencies,&quot; said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC).

Currently, both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have voted to increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour. The issues in debate include $8.3 billion in proposed tax breaks for small businesses in the Senate version. 

Among business owners in all industry sectors, three out of four (76 percent) report the federal minimum wage hike will have little or no impact on their business within the first six months of enactment. The primary reason, PNC&#039;s survey found, is that 72 percent already meet higher state minimum wage requirements.

In contrast, 35 percent of retail and wholesale business owners say the federal minimum wage hike would &#039;greatly or somewhat adversely impact&#039; their business within its first six months. Among the concerned owners in these two industry sectors, the impact would be felt by customers and employees alike: 34 percent of these owners would raise selling prices and 29 percent would reduce hiring. 

The survey was conducted for PNC between January and March by Harris Interactive, a global market research and consulting firm, with responses from 1,258 business owners and senior decision makers. This survey, done every six months since 2003, gauges the mood and sentiment among business owners about business expectations, economic factors and other issues.

Expectations on the rise:
Overall, the outlook among U.S. business owners for sales, profits, hiring and investments for the next six months significantly rebounded to the highs reached in PNC&#039;s survey one year ago, after a small decline last Autumn.

&quot;There is a positive lift in business owners&#039; optimism and business expectations from last Autumn, which is consistent with market indicators showing stable interest rates and a decline in energy prices from last year&#039;s highs,&quot; Hoffman said.

- Sales: 65 percent expect increases during the next six months, compared to 58 percent last Autumn and 67 percent a year ago. 
- Profits: More than half (54 percent) expect profits to increase. This compares to 49 percent last Autumn and 54 percent a year ago.
- Hiring: One out of three (32 percent) plan to increase hiring of full-time employees compared to 25 percent last Autumn and 32 percent a year ago. 

When it comes to investing in their own business, three out of four (76 percent) have plans for capital spending during the next six months, up from 70 percent last Autumn. Technology equipment, cited by 24 percent of business owners, is most likely to receive the largest spending increase over the next six months with &#039;other types&#039; of business equipment... To read the press release in full goto http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/4/prweb516016.htm]]></content:encoded>
                        <itunes:author>Patrick McMahon</itunes:author>
                        <itunes:subtitle>Small Retailers Express Greatest Concerns About Impact of Federal Minimum Wage Hike</itunes:subtitle>
                        <itunes:summary><![CDATA[Pittsburgh (PRWeb) April 5, 2007 -- As Congress considers the first federal minimum wage increase in 10 years, most small business owners across the United States foresee minimal impact on their business except retailers who expect to raise prices and reduce hiring, according to the semiannual PNC Economic Outlook survey.

Amid stable interest rates and lower energy prices, down from last year&#039;s highs, the overall views, meanwhile, of small and mid-sized business owners reflected a boost in  expectations for their sales, profits and hiring of new employees during the next six months.

&quot;Despite lingering concerns about higher energy prices and interest rates, small business owners are more positive on the near-term outlook for their businesses and the U.S. economy. This is additional evidence supporting our view of a &#039;soft landing&#039; for the U.S. economy even in the midst of growing problems with subprime mortgage delinquencies,&quot; said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC).

Currently, both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have voted to increase the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour. The issues in debate include $8.3 billion in proposed tax breaks for small businesses in the Senate version. 

Among business owners in all industry sectors, three out of four (76 percent) report the federal minimum wage hike will have little or no impact on their business within the first six months of enactment. The primary reason, PNC&#039;s survey found, is that 72 percent already meet higher state minimum wage requirements.

In contrast, 35 percent of retail and wholesale business owners say the federal minimum wage hike would &#039;greatly or somewhat adversely impact&#039; their business within its first six months. Among the concerned owners in these two industry sectors, the impact would be felt by customers and employees alike: 34 percent of these owners would raise selling prices and 29 percent would reduce hiring. 

The survey was conducted for PNC between January and March by Harris Interactive, a global market research and consulting firm, with responses from 1,258 business owners and senior decision makers. This survey, done every six months since 2003, gauges the mood and sentiment among business owners about business expectations, economic factors and other issues.

Expectations on the rise:
Overall, the outlook among U.S. business owners for sales, profits, hiring and investments for the next six months significantly rebounded to the highs reached in PNC&#039;s survey one year ago, after a small decline last Autumn.

&quot;There is a positive lift in business owners&#039; optimism and business expectations from last Autumn, which is consistent with market indicators showing stable interest rates and a decline in energy prices from last year&#039;s highs,&quot; Hoffman said.

- Sales: 65 percent expect increases during the next six months, compared to 58 percent last Autumn and 67 percent a year ago. 
- Profits: More than half (54 percent) expect profits to increase. This compares to 49 percent last Autumn and 54 percent a year ago.
- Hiring: One out of three (32 percent) plan to increase hiring of full-time employees compared to 25 percent last Autumn and 32 percent a year ago. 

When it comes to investing in their own business, three out of four (76 percent) have plans for capital spending during the next six months, up from 70 percent last Autumn. Technology equipment, cited by 24 percent of business owners, is most likely to receive the largest spending increase over the next six months with &#039;other types&#039; of business equipment... To read the press release in full goto http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/4/prweb516016.htm]]></itunes:summary>

                        <itunes:category text="Business" /><itunes:category text="Government &amp; Organizations" /><itunes:category text="Government &amp; Organizations">
        <itunes:category text=" National" />
          </itunes:category><itunes:category text="News &amp; Politics" />

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