US Job Creation Falls in February — Gallup
The latest results from a random daily survey of 500 US workers by Gallup, indicates that more workers were getting fired than getting hired in February. The Gallup Job Creation Index fell from a…
All Work
Paul Ausick
Valero Looks Forward to Export Opportunities (VLO, TRP, TSO, MPC, HFC)
In a presentation yesterday to investors, Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO) CEO Bill Klesse said that stagnant demand for refined products in the US would be replaced by foreign demand for gasoline and diesel…
Homebuilder Hovnanian Reports Smaller Loss (HOV, DHI, LEN, PHM)
Of all the big US homebuilders, Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. (NYSE: HOV) has been one of the most troubled. But the company’s first fiscal quarter earnings report might represent a small step in the right…
US Petroleum Inventories Rise, Imports Decline Slightly
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its weekly petroleum status report this morning. US commercial crude inventories rose by 800,000 barrels last week, bringing the total US commercial crude inventory to 345.7 million…
Morning Movers (TRCR, DSCO, BONT, P, CSIQ)
The three major US equities indexes opened higher this morning following an in-line report fromn ADP on employment. The dollar is gaining strength even though the dollar index is down slightly, at -0.03% this…
Samsung Files Suit Against Apple in Korea (AAPL, SSNLF, GOOG)
Most people expect Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) to show off its new iPad 3 today. What most people did not expect is that the company would get hit by yet another patent infringement lawsuit…
Sprint Plans to Kill Deal with Lightsquared (S, VZ, VOD, T)
The number three wireless carrier in the US, Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE: S), is reported to be on the brink of cancelling its network-sharing deal with Lightsquared, the networking company controlled by private equity…
Pandora Misses by a Little, Investors Dump a Lot (P, SIRI)
Internet radio company Pandora Media Inc. (NYSE: P) reported earnings after markets closed yesterday that were down slightly from analysts’ expectations. The company reported a quarterly loss of -$0.03, more than the consensus estimate…
Google to Dump Cable Set-top Box — NY Post (GOOG, MMI, CSCO, AAPL)
An exclusive report from the New York Post cites unnamed sources who say that Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) is trying to sell the cable set-top box business that it will acquire with Motorola Mobility…
Morning Wire — US Stock-Index Futures Higher
US index futures are up this morning as markets following yesterday’s big downer. Traders are waiting to hear the ADP report on employment and the Challenger Gray & Christmas report on layoffs. Expectations are…
Canadian Solar Misses Estimates by a Mile (CSIQ, SPWR, AAPL)
Bad news from the solar PV makers is as common as dirt these days. It’s the good news that’s hard to find. Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ), which despite its name is a Chinese…
The IMF — Down in the Weeds of US Politics
Following the financial collapse of 2008, the US insisted on some changes to the way representation was apportioned at the International Monetary Fund, and when Christine Lagarde took over following the resignation of Dominique…
France Rejects Monsanto Corn Again (MON)
The French government will once again ban the planting of MON810 maize (corn), a genetically modified organism (GMO) made and sold by the Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON). The government first banned MON810 in 2008,…
Factory Orders Take Unexpected Drop in Germany
The German Economy Ministry reported this morning that the new factory orders index fell by -2.7% in January, following a rise of 1.6% in December. Observers had been expecting a rise of 0.6% in…
24/7 Wall St. Closing Bell (GOOG, YNDX, LULU, AMGN, NLY, BDE, FTEK, HK, PAY, DKS, IRDM, SSI, MTN, VRML, EBTX, XOMA, ONTY, ZLTQ)
The three major US equities indexes opened sharply lower this morning and the slide continued pretty much without interruption all day. About half an hour before closing, all three indexes are down more than…
Apple, Google Still Lead in Smartphone Hardware, Platform Market Share (AAPL, GOOG, RIM, MMI, SSNLF, MSFT, NOK)
The latest data from comScore Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) reporting share in the smartphone market has not changed much. The three-month averages for November through January show that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was the only…
Boeing Partners with Chinese Aircraft Maker (BA)
US aircraft maker Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) has agreed to work with China’s Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China, known as Comac, on developing fuel-efficient technologies in aviation. Early last fall, Boeing predicted that the…
Canadian Pacific Adds Rail Transport for More Bakken Crude Production (CP)
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (NYSE: CP) announced today that it would make use of a new rail hub at Van Hook, North Dakota, capable of handling up to 35,000 barrels/day of production. The hub,…
Oil Field Services Companies Hit by Weaker Oil Prices (SLB, HAL, BHI, WFT, NOV, RIG)
Today’s falling crude prices are having an impact on stocks in the oil field services companies today. Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE: SLB), Halliburton Co. (NYSE: HAL), Baker Hughes Inc. (NYSE: BHI), Weatherford International Ltd. (NYSE:…
Consol Energy Closes Coal Mine (CNX, ANR, PCX, BTU, KOL)
Coal miner Consol Energy Inc. (NYSE: CNX) announced this morning that it would close its Virginia Buchanan longwall coal-mining operation and reduce its operations to five days a week. The company expects a production…