Comcast: A Monopoly or a Monopsony?
courtesy of ComcastThe announced $45 billion merger between Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC) has raised a lot of concerns among consumers that the combined company will be able…
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Paul Ausick
Global New Car Sales in 2013 Top 83 Million; Sales Forecast Higher for 2014
ThinkstockThe top country for new car sales in 2013 was China, where just over 21.9 million new cars were sold, an increase of almost 15% from 2012. The Middle Kingdom now accounts for one…
The Week in IPOs: Review of Last Week, Preview of the Week Ahead
ThinkstockInitial public offerings (IPOs) continue to flourish in 2014, particularly for new biotech and pharmaceutical firms. Some seven firms in areas related to drugs and medicines held IPOs last week, on top of eight…
Surveying the MLP Universe Following the Implosion at Boardwalk Pipeline
ThinkstockThe big news in the master limited partnership (MLP) world last week was the announcement by Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP (NYSE: BWP) that it was cutting its quarterly distribution by 80%. The company’s market…
Boeing, Airbus Take Few New Orders in Singapore
The Boeing CompanyThe Singapore Airshow ends on Sunday, but for Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) and its main rival, Airbus (OTC: EADSY), the show has delivered some additional marketing but not a lot in the…
Huge Apple Supplier Plans IPO
courtesy of Apple Inc.A major Japan-based supplier of display screens for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is preparing an initial public offering (IPO) of about 354 million shares. Japan Display Inc. has announced that it…
The 4 Stocks That Dominated the Market on Friday
thinkstockFebruary 14, 2014: Markets opened lower on Friday before posting some gains on higher bids for energy and materials. Tech remained in the doldrums until mid-afternoon before moving to the plus side of the…
Best Car Deals for the President’s Day Weekend
The editors at Kelley Blue Book have compiled a list of the best lease and purchase deals available for the President's Day holiday weekend. Two significant cash-back offers and eight leasing deals stand out…
A Weight Watchers Belly Flop!
Nutrition is not having a very good Valentine's Day. Weight Watchers International, GNC Holdings, Herbalife and Nutrisystem all saw their shares drop in Friday morning's trading.
S&P: Sony Credit Rating Down to Near Junk
Standard & Poor's on Friday morning cut the long-term corporate credit rating for Sony from BBB to BBB-, just one notch above junk. The outlook on Sony's long-term credit rating is negative.
Cliffs Wants to Make Shareholders Whole Again
Cliffs Natural Resources sent an open letter to its shareholders on Friday morning responding to a letter from activist investment firm Casablanca Capital urging the company to take a number of actions to increase…
Jos. A. Bank Buys Eddie Bauer: A Poison Pill?
Jos. A. Bank Clothier announced Friday morning that it was acquiring privately held Eddie Bauer for $825 million in cash and newly issued stock. This virtually guarantees that Men's Wearhouse will put no more…
PlayStation 4 Sales Beat Xbox One
January was not a particularly good month for video game and gaming sales. Compared with the January 2013, total sales at brick-and-mortar video game stores fell 21%, according to research firm NPD Group.
Natural Gas Wells Are Leaking
Methane that leaks from natural gas wells, valves and pipelines is very likely doing more environmental damage than the good that is done by burning natural gas instead of diesel fuel, according to a…
AIG Beats Estimates, Raises Dividend, Looks Good
Wikimedia CommonsAmerican International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) reported fourth quarter and full year 2013 earnings after markets closed on Thursday. For the quarter, the multinational insurer posted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.34…
The 4 Stocks That Dominated the Market on Thursday
thinkstockFebruary 13, 2014: Markets opened lower on Wednesday, but turned positive by mid-morning and never really looked back. Weak reports on retail sales and new claims for jobless benefits didn’t have much impact after…
Facebook Busts New All-Time High — With Help From Twitter?
Courtesy Facebook Inc.Social media giant Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) has posted an all-time high share price in the early afternoon on Thursday and it’s a little difficult to figure out why. There’s no news…
One Pipeline MLP Gets a Vote of Confidence — After Another Implodes
ThinkstockFollowing last Monday’s implosion at Boardwalk Pipeline Partners L.P. (NYSE: BWP), there have been questions raised about the entire pipeline MLP sector and, especially, investors want to know which one could be next. There…
Verizon Slashes Prices to Match AT&T, T-Mobile
It had to happen. Verizon Communications announced Thursday morning that it has launched a new, lower-cost plan for its Verizon Wireless customers. A price war is well and truly being fought among the four…
Natural Gas Inventory Slips, Sending Prices Higher
thinkstockThe U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported Thursday morning that U.S. natural gas stocks decreased by 237 billion cubic feet for the week ending February 7, compared with an expected drop of 228 billion…