Mortgage Loan Rates Make Slight Move Last Week, Applications Continue Decline
Mortgage loan rates made just small moves last week as yields on 10-year Treasury notes reached their year-ago levels. Applications for new loans dropped again.
All Work
Paul Ausick
Why AMD Earnings Weren’t Bad, Just Not Good Enough
Chipmaker AMD met profit estimates when it reported quarterly and full-year earnings after the closing bell Tuesday, but came up a little short on revenues. The outlook was weak too and investors are not…
Tumbling US Sales Wreck Harley-Davidson
Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson posted a weak quarter and year, even though motorcycle sales rose a bit more than 1% year over year.
The Federal Government Services Americans Hate Most
Americans' satisfaction with federal government services dipped a little in 2018 after posting a 10-year high in 2017.
Not Much Flash in Lockheed Martin Earnings
Lockheed Martin reported quarterly and full-year results this morning that met mostly profit expectations and exceeded revenue estimates. The outlook was a bit shaky, however.
What PG&E Bankruptcy Filing Means
PG&E filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday. The company listed liabilities totaling more than $51 billion and assets valued at more than $71 billion. Other potential liabilities could boost the utility's liabilities…
Home Prices Rise in Top 20 Markets, Las Vegas and Phoenix Soar
Home prices continue to rise at a slower pace than they were rising a year ago according to the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index. Home prices rose 5.2% on average in the…
Federal Pension Agency Seeks Halt to Lampert’s Acquisition of Sears Assets
The federal Pension Benefit Benefit Corporation has filed a motion with the bankruptcy court opposing the sale of Sears to former CEO Eddie Lampert and his hedge fund.
Howard Schultz’s Legacy: Starbucks Stock Underperforms McDonald’s
What does Starbucks founder and former CEO Howard Schultz have to offer if he decides to run for president in 2020? Over the past five years, his company has lost ground to bigger rival…
Gas Prices Ticked Higher Last Week
Gasoline prices ticked up last week but remain more than 30 cents a gallon lower than at this time a year ago.
Super Bowl Could Cost Businesses $4.4 Billion in Lost Productivity
This year's Super Bowl could cost employers as much as $4.4 billion in lost productivity as employees spend some time this week talking about the game and more time Monday dissecting the outcome. More…
Short Sellers Parting With Solar Stocks, Jumping on Alternative Fuels
Short interest in solar stocks slipped somewhat in the two-week reporting period to January 15. Alternative energy stocks, however, saw big increases.
Why Caterpillar Earnings Have Sent Investors Scurrying
Caterpillar profits failed to meet both quarterly and full-year expectations. Combined with a soft outlook for 2019 and rising inventory levels at its dealers, the stock is being sold off sharply in Monday's premarket…
Is Brazilian Dam Failure an Existential Threat to Mining Giant Vale?
A second Brazilian dam failure in just over three years is punished shares of iron ore mining giant Vale.
Shutdown Squashing Interest in Government Jobs Among Current, Potential Workers
Furloughed federal workers, including those who are working but not being paid, will miss their second paycheck Friday. Missing pay is driving up job searches among furloughed workers and driving down interest among job-seekers.
Vodafone, Lexicon Pharma Slip Into Friday’s 52-Week Low Club
Vodafone, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, and Maiden Holding had all posted new 52-week lows by noon Friday.
Is Government Shutdown Giving Air Traffic Controllers the Flu?
Air traffic into La Guardia and Newark airports is experiencing long delays Friday morning as the ranks of air traffic controllers still working without pay appear to be getting smaller.
Affordable Homes Becoming Scarcer in Major US Metro Areas
Available affordable homes for sale declined year over year in 2018 according to a report from Redfin. There are a few cities, however, where the number rose.
PG&E Dodges a Bullet, but Bankruptcy Filing Remains Likely
The California agency investigating the cause of 2017's massive Tubbs Fire has absolved PG&E of responsibility for the blaze. That's not likely to change the company's mind about a bankruptcy filing, however, because so…
What DR Horton Earnings Indicate About the Housing Market
Homebuilder D.R. Horton reported first fiscal quarter earnings Friday morning that were below consensus estimates. Revenues were slightly above consensus.