One of the hallmarks of this recession is that even healthy companies are willing to cut costs and cut them more than once. HP (HPQ) laid off 24,000 people a month ago, ostensibly because…
There are two components to retail sales. The first is the total number of transactions that a business makes. The other is the yield-per-sale. So far this holiday season, total sales have not looked…
The board of Merrill Lynch (MER) is fighting with CEO John Thain over whether he should get a bonus. The board will probably win. It is the board. And, since Merrill has been sold…
Economists, politicians, and the media have spent a number of weeks examining the wrong holiday season. The results for this year are nearly set in stone. For reasons that no one has explained well,…
"Ecce Auto" (Behold the car). With that back of the hand brush off, the 110th US Congress just left the future of the American auto companies to be worked out next year by a…
According to Reuters, the Senate will return to auto bailout talks this week. Reuters reports that Merrill Lynch (MER) CEO Thain is seeking his $10 million bonus. Reuters reports that unsold cars are piling…
Markets in Asia were higher The Nikkei rose 5.2% to 8,329. The Hang Seng was up 8.4% to 15,002. The Shanghai Composite rose 3.6% to 2,091. At the open, the FTSE was up 6.1%…
A day ago came news that McClatchy (MNI) would sell its flagship Miami Herald. The day before, the Rocky Mountain News went on the block and Newsday said it would make additional newsroom cuts.…
It is that time of year where companies should have been evaluating their plans for the year ahead. Each year we come out with a list of companies who should get rid of their…
24/7 Wall St. will name its annual CEO of the Year next week. The executive will be picked from a field of ten which we will profile this week The CEOs are chosen on…
24/7 Wall St. will name its annual CEO of the Year next week. The executive will be picked from a field of ten which we will profile this week The CEOs are chosen on…
Czar Nicholas II is not available due to his untimely demise, so Congress and the administration will have to find someone else to act as the "car czar", the role of making sure that…
OPEC is sending strong signals that it will cut production ASAP before Venezuela and Iran have to file for bankruptcy and Putin is thrown into irons for ruining Russia’s economy. (Russia is not an…
Thornburg Mortgage (TMA) was just suspended from trading on the NYSE. Its price has been below $1 for too long. It trades at $.24. Extraordinary, because it 52-week high is $140.50. Losses and fear…
Detroit wants a dollar and it may get a dime. Congress may give The Big Three enough money to make it until early next year. GM (GM) and Chrysler are particularly desperate for funding.…