ThinkstockIf there is one thing a U.S. politician does not want to appear after the horror of 9/11, it is being weak on defense. Yet with the exception of entitlements, the biggest part of…
ThinkstockDean Foods Inc. (NYSE: DF) reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2012 results before markets opened this morning. For the quarter, the food and beverage company posted adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.40 on…
Jon OggThese are some of this Wednesday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen from Wall St. research calls. Avon Products Inc. (NYSE: AVP) raised to Neutral at UBS. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.…
ThinkstockDeere & Co. (NYSE: DE) reported first-quarter fiscal 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The farm and heavy equipment maker posted adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.65 on revenues of $7.42…
ThinkstockTotal S.A. (NYSE: TOT) reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2012 results before markets opened this morning. For the quarter, the French oil giant posted adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.76 on revenues of…
ThinkstockThe Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its weekly report on mortgage applications this morning, noting a decrease of 6.4% in the group’s seasonally adjusted composite index, following a rise of 3.4% for the previous…
courtesy of Apple Inc.The growth of mobile phone sales, so hot for so long, has cooled. Research firm Gartner reports that sales of these devices fell 1.7% to 1.75 billion in 2012. Maybe the…
ThinkstockFederal approval of the potential merger between U.S. Airways Group Inc. (NYSE: LCC) and bankrupt AMR likely will hinge on what the carriers are willing to give up. Antitrust experts believe that the new company…
ThinkstockIn its February Oil Market Report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) burst the bubble created by the idea that a better economy will raise oil prices. The economy is not that much better, the…
courtesy U.S. State DepartmentU.S. Secretary of State John Kerry waded cautiously into the debate surrounding the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline during last week’s meetings with his Canadian counterpart. Supporters describe the project as…
ThinkstockAs Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pressed the nation’s largest companies to raise the minimum wage, one reaction summed up the resistance likely to face a similar proposal by President Obama. Tadashi Okamura, chairman of…
Wikimedia CommonsIntel Corp.’s (NASDAQ: INTC) case that it can build a TV product, with new hardware and plenty of content, is based on the chip company’s plan to offer a better mouse trap for the…
ThinkstockAs Fat Tuesday quickly turns into Ash Wednesday, Lent will take place from Wednesday, February 13 to Saturday, March 30 in 2013. It may not seem like much on the surface, but this puts…
courtesy Dell Inc.Michael Dell and some of his associates own 16% of Dell Inc.’s (NASDAQ: DELL) shares. This block has set a planned leveraged buyout (LBO). Southeastern Asset Management and T. Rowe Price, which together own…
ThinkstockMobile Phone Sales The growth of mobile phone sales, so hot for so long, has cooled. Research firm Gartner reports that sales of these devices fell 1.7% to 1.75 billion in 2012. Maybe the…