ThinkstockThe U.S. economy continued to increase at a “modest to moderate pace” according to today’s release of the Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book. Employment, one of the key drivers of the Fed’s monetary policy…
courtesy of Google Inc.Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) dominates search in Europe even more than it does in the U.S. Fully 90% of all searches originating in European Union (EU) countries go to Google, and…
ThinkstockCrude oil refiners have taken some heavy hits in the past couple of months. Because the cost of crude contributes about 65% to the price of gasoline, gas prices have remained high, but refiners’…
ThinkstockThe U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its weekly petroleum status report this morning. U.S. commercial crude inventories dropped by 6.9 million barrels last week, maintaining a total U.S. commercial crude inventory to 367…
ThinkstockU.K.-based Barclays PLC (NYSE: BCS) is refusing to pay fines totaling $470 million levied against the bank by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) related to electricity trading by four former traders who…
ThinkstockThe U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported this morning that new housing starts in June fell to an annual seasonally adjusted rate of 836,000, a decrease of 9.9%…
ThinkstockAbbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) reported second-quarter 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The drugmaker reported adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.46 on revenues of $5.45 billion. In the same period last…
Brian Katt / Wikimedia Commons / GNU Free Documentation LicenseBank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) reported second-quarter 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The investment bank and financial services giant reported quarterly diluted…
ThinkstockThe Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its weekly report on mortgage applications this morning, noting a drop of 2.6% in the group’s seasonally adjusted composite index, following a drop of 4% for the previous…
thinkstockRailroad operator CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) reported second-quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $0.52 on revenues of $3.1 billion. The consensus estimate called for EPS of $0.47 on revenues of $3.02 billion. The company…
July 16, 2013: U.S. equity markets opened a bit higher this morning but almost instantly turned lower and remained in the red virtually all day. In Europe, Germany’s ZEW economic sentiment survey declined where…
ThinkstockRising mortgage interest rates have not had an appreciable impact on housing affordability yet. Only in Washington, D.C., and Hawaii are current house prices unaffordable based on median home prices and median income levels.…
ThinkstockCrude oil refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC) announced a cut to its second-quarter earnings estimates well after markets closed last night. Late last week the country’s largest refiner, Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE: VLO)…
ThinkstockGambling machine maker Bally Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BYI) announced today that it has struck a definitive agreement to acquire SHFL entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: SHFL) for $23.25 a share, or about $1.3 billion, in cash.…
ThinkstockThe National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo housing market index rose by six points from 51 in June to 57 in July. Last month’s reading had been the highest for the index since…
ThinkstockUnemployment in the world’s developed countries is not forecast to improve much — if at all — through the end of 2014. At the end of April, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development…
Wikimedia CommonsJohnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) reported second-quarter 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The health care giant reported quarterly adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.48 on revenue of $17.9 billion.…
Wikimedia CommonsGoldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS) reported second-quarter 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The investment bank and financial services giant reported quarterly diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.70 on revenue…
courtesy of The Coca-Cola CompanyThe Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) reported second-quarter 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The soft-drink maker posted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.59 on revenues of $12.75 billion.…
thinkstockThe Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS) reported fourth-quarter and fiscal-year 2013 results before markets opened this morning. The fertilizer maker reported diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.14 on revenues of $2.69 billion for the…