Justice Department Squeezes Apple
The Department of Justice is considering the extent to which Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) has a monopoly in the digital music sales business. Its iTunes store controls much of the market. The government agency…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
Short Sellers Bet Big Against Sirius And Starbucks
The bets made for and against banks and tech companies were mixed for the period ending April 14. Short selling showed no particular pattern for the two huge industries. Shorts were out in force,…
Media Digest 5/26/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg
Reuters: BP plc (NYSE: BP) had warning signs of pressure on its Deepwater Horizon rig. Reuters: Geithner went to Europe to press for more reform. Reuters: The Qatar sovereign wealth fund wants to buy…
The Gulf Deepwater Oil Spill – the Top Kill Attempt
The next attempt to shut off the flow from the leaking BP well in the Gulf is still aimed to occur early Wednesday. The attempt will use the “top kill” method to try and kill…
Is China Serious About Revaluing Its Currency?
By Heather Horn Reports on U.S.-China talks are interpreting Chinese President Hu Jintao’s statements as a positive sign of the country’s willingness to revalue the yuan. While he made no firm commitments, Hu stated…
Case-Schiller Shows Housing Market Still Broken
When it rains, it pours. On top of trouble on the Korean peninsula, Eurozone sovereign debt concerns, and a belief the US economy could be heading back into reverse, the S&P/ Case-Schiller Housing Index…
IMF Batters Spain
Its credit rating in tatters and it banks in trouble, Spain was kicked by S&P while it was down. The agency said: Spain’s economy needs far-reaching and comprehensive reforms. The challenges are severe: a…
Auto Loan Delinquency Plunges, Silver Lining For Car Companies
Car loan delinquencies dropped over 18% from the fourth quarter of 2009 to the first quarter of this year, according to credit agency TransUnion. The news is good for US car companies which are…
Dell Slate To Challenge iPad
Dell Computer (NASDAQ: DELL), usually late to market with new products such as handsets and netbooks, will challenge Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) with a new tablet PC. It is called the Streak. The fist…
The 4G iPhone: Wal-Mart (WMT) Cuts Price Of Current iPhone 3GS By Half
Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) will cut the price of the Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 3GS, the top of the company’s smartphone line, by over half to $97 if customers commit to a two-year subscription. Analysts…
Mixed Messages: Administration Asks For More Stimulus
It was only last week that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said that the US economy was strong enough to weather the threat of a slowdown in Europe. That seemed improbable because of the size…
Are $50 Billion In Budget Cuts By EU Members Too Little?
Many EU nations have disclosed plans for budget cuts as part of the trend toward austerity that has swept the region. The frugality is understandable. In the eyes of the world, Europe has gone…
Markets Collapse Across Asia And Europe
Concerns about finances in the Eurozone, a further sell-off of the euro, and worries about a new war on the Korean peninsula drove down stocks across Asia. Indices in China and Japan were down…
“Wall Street Reform: A Viewer’s Guide to the Debate”
Well, the Senate finally voted last week, and from the headlines one might think it’s all over but the shouting and signing. Certainly that’s what the President implied when he said in his remarks…
Media Digest 5/25/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg
Reuters: Stocks around the world continue to fall on euro concerns. Reuters: The bailout of Spanish banks is not over. Reuters: S&P says a “herd” mentality could drive European stocks down. Reuters: The IMF…
Americans Walk Away From Driving
The economy has gotten markedly better over the last year, but the driving habits of Americans don’t reflect that. It may be because gas prices began to move up in the last few months,…
Intel Cornerstone To Expensive Ultra-Fast Notebooks
It is not certain that consumers and businesses want faster and faster PCs, especially notebooks which are often used for simple e-mail and web surfing, tasks which can also be done on most smartphones.…
BP plc To Change Name To British Petroleum, Release New Logo (Update)
BP plc (NYSE: BP) will change its name to British Petroleum in a desperate attempt to slip the public’s growing negative opinion of the company. The oil firm has spent nearly a decade building…
Oil Spill Widens, BP Response Continues to Lag
Shoreline assessments and overflights continued today as planned. As anticipated, areas of oil moved closer to the Chandeleur Islands today. With winds forecast from the north, this will tend to push the oil away…
Existing Home Sales Power Higher In April, Won’t Last
Adding to the mixed results on the US real estate market, the National Association of Realtors said existing home moved sharply higher in April. But, the numbers were almost certainly an aberration. “Existing-home sales,…