Year-End Storms Across the U.S.
ThinkstockThe weather will not much help U.S. gross domestic product over the course of the final week of the year. Storms currently cover about half the nation, and heavy rain, wind and snow are…
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Trey Thoelcke
Peugeot Walks Away from Opel Merger
courtesy of General MotorsPeugeot, though in desperate need for a cash infusion, will not try to bolster its fortunes through a merger with General Motors Co.’s (NYSE: GM) Opel division, according to Autogazette. Its…
Hope for Fiscal Cliff Compromise Rests with the Senate
ThinkstockNow that the House of Representatives and White House have bungled fiscal cliff negotiations, some experts believe that the Senate is the only body that can reach a compromise to set new laws to…
Expected Longshoreman Strike Could Be Another Blow to the Economy
ThinkstockJust a few days ago, the possibility of a strike of longshoreman at major East Coast and Gulf ports was nowhere in the news. Now the chance of a work stoppage has been called…
U.K. on the Brink of Another Recession
ThinkstockAdd the United Kingdom to the long line of countries that have gotten into more economic trouble that expected. The Office for National Statistics cut its figure for third-quarter GDP growth to 0.9%, in…
Facebook Introduces Message Fees
courtesy of Facebook Inc.Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) has scrounged up another way that might make it money. So far, Wall St. has been disappointed about the revenue Facebook has managed to derive from its one…
Dell Is Dropped from the S&P 100
courtesy of DellDell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) has been kicked out of the S&P 100. The PC company has struggled to remain relevant, and successful, for years. Perhaps Standard & Poor’s finally has acknowledged that Dell does…
Gun and Ammo Sales Surge Amidst Calls for Assault Weapons Bans
Gun and ammo sales have surged, so say several surveys. This is happening at the same time as politicians start to offer gun control legislation and many Americans press for assault rifles to be…
Google Sells Motorola Set-Top Business
ThinkstockGoogle Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) dumped the part of Motorola Mobility it did not want when it bought the company. Motorola’s cable set-top business may still make money, but the older boxes have been pushed out of…
RIM’s and Nokia’s Irrational Rallies
thinkstockWall St.’s uncanny new love of battered handset companies Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) and Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) continues. The stocks in each firm are up more than 40% in the past…
German Business Climate Brightens Despite Weakness in Trade
ThinkstockThe business climate in Germany reversed a bit last month after several months of decline. The news comes as a surprise as the balance of the continent slips into recession. According to Ifo: The…
TheStreet.com Settles with the SEC
ThinkstockSecurities and Exchange Commission problems with TheStreet Inc. (NASDAQ: TST) were worse than previously reported — much worse. According to the New York Post: TheStreet.com and three former executives settled a Securities and Exchange…
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to Dump New CEO
ThinkstockThe train wreck that is Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. (NYSE: MSO) continued as the firm probably will dump its new chief executive. The New York Post reports: Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia CEO Lisa Gersh is…
IBM Predicts Digital Taste Buds, Sense of Smell by 2018
IBM has put out its "5 in 5" report, detailing five important features computers will have in five years. The forecast indicates computers could be nearly human by 2018. That means millions of jobs…
Many McDonald’s Will Open Christmas Day
courtesy of McDonald'sSome people have objected to the fact that McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) will keep many of its locations open for Christmas. Apparently, this breaks with a tradition of giving people the day off.…
Boeing Hikes Dividend, Renews Buybacks
courtesy Boeing Co.Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA), increasingly unloved by Wall St. because of problems with its 787 that might make the plane dangerous to fly, has decided to entice holders to keep their shares,…
Gasoline Prices Likely to Fall Well into 2013
ThinkstockGasoline prices continue to fall, which could be a small counterweight to fiscal cliff effects. The national average price of a gallon of regular dropped to $3.248 yesterday, according to AAA Fuel Gauge. That…
Republican Tax Proposal Likely to Be Rejected
ThinkstockThe Republicans offered a new deal on taxes, and the White House likely will reject it. The proposal seems attractive. It would levy new taxes on people who make more than $1 million a year.…
2012 to Be the Warmest Year on Record
ThinkstockAnother factor in energy costs that may keep oil and gas prices low is the prevalence of unusually warm weather. Daytime temperatures will not be below freezing anywhere in the United States today, with…
Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (ADBE, BV, BP, BKW, CIEN, CL, CVS, DVA, DE, EQR, XOM, KMB, MRO, MSFT, PG, RIGL, RDS-A, S, TIVO, WYNN, YOKU, ZUMZ)
Jon OggThese are some of the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations seen in Wall St. research calls this Friday. Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) cut to Neutral a Janney. Bazaarvoice Inc. (NASDAQ: BV)…