Tropical Storm Isaac Shuts Gulf Coast Refineries
As Tropical Storm Isaac is forecast to turn into a Category 2 Hurricane before its makes landfall near New Orleans, it has caused large oil firms to shut many of their platforms in the…
All Work
Trey Thoelcke
The Uncertain Future of Google’s Android
The primary concern about the future of mobile operating systems now that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has defeated Samsung in a court battle over patents is that Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) will be Apple’s…
A Smaller iPad to Launch in October?
Rumors continue that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) will launch a mini-iPad. AllThingsD reported: Only after the next-generation iPhone is out the door and on sale will Apple announce the smaller iPad it’s been working…
Nokia Rises in Wake of Apple Patent Win
NokiaNokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) shares are up more than 10%, or above $3.40 a share, in premarket trading. Last week, a U.S. jury awarded Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) $1.051 billion in damages from Samsung…
Biotech: Vertex and VIVUS Draw Short Interest (ALXN, AMGN, ARNA, BIIB, CELG, DNDN, GILD, ILMN, ONXX, PCYC, REGN, VRTX, VVUS)
The short interest in biotech stocks is generally rising, judging by the short interest changes from August 15 settlement date versus the July 31 settlement date. We have tracked the key short interest changes…
Hurricane Isaac Poised to Strike U.S. Economy
Isaac, now a Category 1 hurricane that could become a Category 2, will have some effect on the U.S. economy even if it does not make a direct hit on a major city. Damage estimates to…
The Aftermath of Apple vs. Samsung
It may take months for the shock waves from the Samsung legal loss in a patent suit with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) to change the smartphone industry’s landscape. Samsung has to immediately decide whether it should redesign…
Gasoline Prices Rise Again
The nationwide average price for a gallon of regular rose seven cents over the past two weeks, according to the Lundberg Survey. That puts the price at $3.76. In the previous two weeks, the price…
U.S. Stocks Open Lower Following Thursday Declines
While most of the 30 stocks on the Dow Jones Industrial closed in the red yesterday, Kraft Foods Inc. (NASDAQ: KFT) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) bucked that trend. Kraft climbed 0.71%, according to Bloomberg,…
Gas Prices Still Rising Ahead of Labor Day
Two months ago, almost all predictions about gasoline prices were that they were falling and would stay down, or even drop more. Crude prices had fallen. Oil and gas supplies were abundant. Trouble with Iran…
HSBC Seeks to Settle Money-Laundering Charges
Bloomberg reports that HSBC (NYSE: HBC) has gone into talks with federal officials to settle charges that it helped launder money for interests in Sudan and Iran. Other banks may be caught in related investigations. Standard…
France and Germany Still Press for Greek Austerity
The relationship between Germany and France on the one hand and Greece on the other spins from accommodation to exasperation in an almost regular cycle. Despite support of the euro, in concept, Angela Merkel and Francois…
U.K. Economy Shrank Less in Q2 Than Previously Estimated
The United Kingdom’s gross domestic product in the second quarter of 2012 shrank less than previously estimated, according to newly released data from the Office for National Statistics. The data indicate that U.K. economy…
Apple Falls to Fourth Place in China’s Smartphone Market
New data from industry research firm IDC shows that Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) share of the smartphone market in China fell to 10% — or nearly cut in half — in the second quarter.…
Germany Posts Budget Surplus, but GDP Growth Slows
German gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.3% in the second quarter of 2012, following a 0.5% increase in the previous quarter, according to data from the Federal Statistics Office. This result was in line…
German Private Sector Output Falls
The Markit preliminary composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for Germany indicated that private sector output fell at faster rate during August. A renewed contraction in services offset slower drop in manufacturing activity. The index…
Eurozone Manufacturing Falls for Seventh Straight Month
nationsonline.orgThe Markit preliminary composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for the eurozone indicated that services and manufacturing output in the region contracted for a seventh consecutive month in August. But the pace of decline was marginally…
HSBC Flash China PMI for August Declines
HSBC’s preliminary or “flash” reading of its China manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for August declined to 47.8. That was a nine-month low, as well as a drop from July’s final reading of 49.3.…
Fifth Third Hits New High Following Dividend Hike Approval
Shares of Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) opened higher this morning after the company said last night it won Federal Reserve approval for a 25% dividend hike and an expanded, $600 million share buyback…
Unions Furious at Federal Pay Freeze Extension
Union leaders are displeased that President Obama has decided to extend a two-year pay freeze for federal employees until at least next spring because Congress has failed to agree on a budget for the…