ABI Highlights

The following are some highlights from this past week gathered by the American Bankruptcy Institute: Ed. Note: It all seems like pretty good news. Sorry Democrats. But hey, there's always '08! Go Hilary! Prepackaged Bankruptcies Companies are seeking an alternative to the increasingly expensive bankruptcy process by embracing pre-packaged deals that ensure a smooth process. Witness the Chapter 11 filing of bus manufacturer Blue Bird Corp.; after filing its pre-packaged bankruptcy in January the company was out a record 32 hours later and less $115 million in debt. Others are taking note. Initial jobless claims down to 302,000 First-time claims for jobless benefits unexpectedly fell last week as a buoyant labor market gave consumers the income to keep spending. Initial claims dropped by 10,000 to 302,000 for the week ended March 25. The four-week moving average fell to 310,750 from 312,250 a week earlier. This quarter the economy will expand at the fastest pace in more than 2 years and consumer confidence jumped to the highest level in almost 4.