ThinkstockInvestors of BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) and Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO) have taken a beating along with many other mining investors in recent days. There is an interesting multi-year outlook piece around new CEOs and the…
ThinkstockThe delinquency rate for mortgage loans fell to its lowest level since 2008 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012. The seasonally adjusted delinquency rate of 7.09% was down 31 basis points…
ThinkstockFor the first time in a decade, global solar photovoltaic (PV) demand grew by less than 10%. Installations totaled 29,000 megawatts of solar PV in 2012, up just 5% from 27,700 megawatts in 2011.…
courtesy of Google Inc.Wall St. analysts take a beating sometimes, and they are praised at other times. The lessons of the endless chasing of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) with higher and higher analyst price targets…
ThinkstockIf you think you’ve seen this movie before, well, you have. VeriFone Systems Inc. (NYSE: PAY) is replaying the scenario the company rehearsed more than two years ago when the stock price plunged by…
ThinkstockMeredith Whitney was applauded for her call about the impending doom of the banking sector ahead of the recession, but she has been criticized ever since her call for billions and billions at risk…
ThinkstockThe U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its weekly petroleum status report this morning. U.S. commercial crude inventories increased by 4.1 million barrels last week, bringing the total U.S. commercial crude inventory to 376.4…
courtesy of The Coca-Cola CompanyThe dividend hike train continues to march forward and onward. Now we have an investor taste test happening between Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) and PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP), as the…
thinkstockThe U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) today reported the U.S. natural gas stocks declined by 127 billion cubic feet last week, slightly higher than the decline of 122 billion cubic feet anticipated by analysts.…
ThinkstockWe have heard it on Wall St., in Las Vegas, even in the movies: “show me the money.” There is a good reason why. Corporate spending is the fuel that drives profits, and strong…
ThinkstockThe National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that the seasonally adjusted annual rate of existing home sales in January rose 0.4% to 4.92 million from a downwardly revised total of 4.9 million in December.…
ThinkstockThis morning brought the weekly jobless claims and the Consumer Price Index from the Labor Department. Now we have two more key bits of data hitting the tape. The Conference Board’s report on leading…
ThinkstockThe world of beer stocks is not that large any longer, and there really are not enough players to evaluate as a real public investable sector. Boston Beer Co. Inc. (NYSE: SAM) has grown…
ThinkstockSafeway Inc. (NYSE: SWY) reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2012 results before markets opened this morning. For the quarter, the grocery store chain posted adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.94 on revenues of…
ThinkstockThe January expiration of the 2% temporary cut in payroll taxes is beginning to exact its toll on the U.S. economy. A recent survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) confirms what everyone suspected…