ThinkstockWe have two data points on the U.S. housing market this morning. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that the seasonally adjusted annual rate of existing home sales in November rose 5.9% to…
ThinkstockDiscover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2012 results before markets opened this morning. The financial services company posted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.07 on revenues of $2 billion, net of…
Frank Golhen, via Wikimedia CommonsIntercontinentalExchange Inc. (NYSE: ICE) announced this morning that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire NYSE Euronext Inc. (NYSE: NYX) in a stock and cash transaction valued at $33.12…
ThinkstockConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG) reported second-quarter fiscal 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The food processor and packager reported adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.57 on revenues of $3.74 billion.…
ThinkstockLooking back on 2012, it is hard to discern the biggest story in the oil and gas sector. The reshuffling of assets is certainly a contender, as is the huge growth in U.S. oil…
ThinkstockKB Home (NYSE: KBH) reported fourth-quarter and fiscal year 2012 results before markets opened this morning. The homebuilder posted quarterly diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.10 on revenues of $578.2 million. In the…
ThinkstockHedge fund manager William Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management told CNBC today that he has taken a short position in nutrition and weight loss product maker Herbalife Inc. (NYSE: HLF). Shares of Herbalife…
U.S. equity markets opened flat to higher this morning but the good vibe didn’t last long. In Europe, the Bank of England made no changes either to interest rates or its bond buying program.…
ThinkstockFocus Media Holding Ltd. (NASDAQ: FMCN) has announced that it has accepted an offer of $5.50 per ordinary share ($27.50 per American Depositary Share) from firms that will be controlled by the company’s chairman…
ThinkstockToday’s auction of $29 billion in seven-year U.S. Treasury notes sold out at a yield of 1.233%. The bid-to-cover ratio of 2.72 was only slightly lower than the average ratio of 2.68 from the…
ThinkstockLed by smartphone makers Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Samsung Electronics, and LG Electronics, 4G LTE phone shipments will rise from just under 91 million units in 2012 to 275 million units in 2013. That…
ThinkstockIn its latest review of sovereign debt, Fitch Ratings warns that continuing weakness in the developed economies and the threat that the U.S. will tumble over the fiscal cliff are having a negative effect…
ThinkstockAfter a year when East Asian and Pacific (EAP) GDP growth fell to 7.5% from 8.3% in 2011, the coming year should see EAP growth rise again to 7.9%, the highest of any developing…
ThinkstockThe US Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its weekly petroleum status report this morning. US commercial crude inventories decreased by 1 million barrels last week, bringing the total US commercial crude inventory to 371.6…
Thinkstock2012 has been a mixed year for the base metals. 24/7 Wall St. is looking into 2013 to see what the new year may bring for the sector. The long and short of it…
ThinkstockNew housing starts in November fell to an annual seasonally adjusted rate of 861,000, a decrease of 3% from the revised October rate of 888,000 and a gain of 21.6% above the November 2011…
Wikimedia CommonsGeneral Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) announced this morning that it will purchase 200 million shares of its stock currently held by the U.S. Treasury for a total of $5.5 billion, or $27.50 a…
ThinkstockNavistar International Corp. (NYSE: NAV) reported fourth-quarter and full fiscal year 2012 results before markets opened this morning. The heavy truck and engine maker reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) loss of $40.13 on…
By Tkgd2007 at en.wikipedia , from Wikimedia CommonsFedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) reported second-quarter fiscal 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The package delivery service reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.39 on…
ThinkstockGeneral Mills Inc. (NYSE: GIS) reported second-quarter fiscal 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The food processing and packaged foods maker reported adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.86 on revenues of…