ThinkstockThe Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its weekly report on mortgage applications this morning, noting a drop of 4.7% in the group’s seasonally adjusted composite index, following a rise of 0.2% for the previous…
courtesy of AOL, IncMaybe the era when firing people in public was acceptable has ended. Perhaps some executives can still get away with it. Clearly, Tim Armstrong of AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) took a…
courtesy of Apple Inc.In a remarkably short time, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has gone from being a dictatorship to a democracy. What Steve Jobs could do as he moved the company from a modest…
ThinkstockAfter years of recession, and fears that the recession would continue years longer, Europe has moved back into the GDP growth column. The EU research arm said about the growth of gross domestic product…
ThinkstockGermany’s gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.7% in the second quarter. Since the European Union’s largest economy relies heavily on trade within the region, the numbers are another sign of a modest recovery there.…
Courtesy BlackBerrySome company is supposed to buy BlackBerry Ltd. (NASDAQ: BBRY), or at least that is what its board appears to believe. The way the smartphone corporation’s stock trades tells otherwise. After a sharp…
ThinkstockThe ExOne Co. (NASDAQ: XONE) reported second-quarter 2013 results before markets opened this morning. For the quarter, the 3D printer maker reported a diluted earnings per share (EPS) loss of $0.08 and $9.2 million…
August 13, 2013: U.S. equity markets opened slightly higher this morning following a report on retail sales from the Census Bureau that was stronger than expected. Stocks turned south quickly though, as Treasury yields…
JoeInQueens, via Wikimedia CommonsBillionaire and activist investor Carl Icahn has most recently been known for his ant-Dell stance in the Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) transaction, and he has been known for his position in…
ThinkstockWhen a major shareholder sells a third of its holdings, everyone notices. That’s why Tuesday’s sale by PAR Capital Management Inc. of 8.1 million shares of the 24.6 million shares it held in Orbitz…
ThinkstockSummer tourism provides a needed boost for many American cities. For some regions, the influx of visitors and people with summer homes is absolutely vital to the local economy. In over 25 of the…
ThinkstockThe proposed merger to create the largest airline is running into trouble. Reports were out that AMR Corp. (AAMRQ) is facing an unexpected regulatory situation regarding its merger (takeover of, actually) with U.S. Airways…
courtesy of General ElectricConglomerates are often too much like the broad stock market for many investors, but other investors have a different take. Some investors flock to these giants for growth during economic expansion and…
ThinkstockThe National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) this morning reported a rise of 0.6 points in its small business optimism index, from 93.5 in June to 94.1 in July. In May the index reached…
In what is a relatively rare move for private equity firm Paulson & Co., the firm is competing with Kohlberg & Co. to acquire Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. (NYSE: LVB). Steinway announced yesterday that…