Bernanke Versus The First Amendment
The Federal Reserve understandably does not want to give up the secrets of which banks were most in need of rescue as the credit markets melted down in late 2008. It might lead customers,…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
US Currency Wars With China Looms
A trade war between the US and China, with tariffs and taxes, recriminations and retaliation, may be a modestly troubling prospect compared to a currency war. China’s Commerce Minister Chen Deming said “The currency is…
IMF Warns US And Other Developed Nations Of Unprecedented Austerity
The need for a new and tremendous belt-tightening by the US government and the costs of the recession to consumers is about to hit like a tidal wave. And the drops in government services to individuals and businesses…
Signs Of The Apocalypse: Dozens Of TARP Banks Miss Payments
Among the things that the Treasury Department elects to say very little about is how many of the firms that still owe the government TARP money are not even paying interest on the capital…
The Cold War Long Over, Russian Firm Will Make Air Force Bid
Russian cold warrior Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev is long dead and with him the battle he fought with John Kennedy when Soviet–US military tensions were at their apex. Those times are remote enough in memory that…
National Employee Morale Day At Siemens
The spectacularly successful conglomerate Siemens (SI), which was roiled by scandal two years ago, has decided to fire another 4,200 people. Those being cut are in the firm’s IT business solutions unit. This division…
Google’s New TV Innovation
Google TV sounds like a mere side project. Now, it’s an impending reality. Google has partnered with Sony and Intel to invade your living room television, reports The New York Times. The idea is…
Today’s Best Markte Rumors (3/19/2010)
Updated throughout the day. Merrill Lynch warned the SEC and Fed that Lehman was booking capital aggressively (FT) Apax Partner may buy Polycom (PLCM) for as much as $3 billion (FT) Palm (PALM), just off poor…
The Twitter-24/7 Wall St. Daily Stock Watch 3.19
Twitter has, by most estimates, 75 million visitors a month, which makes it one of the largest social networds in the world. All major media companies have a presence on Twitter and some are followed by…
A Slow Boat From China
China said it will send an envoy to Washington to discuss the friction between the two countries over the value of the yuan. It will not matter. Too many members of Congress, CEOs of…
The Core Problem With Compensation: Gannett’s CEO Gets A Raise
Gannett (GCI) is part of the crumbling newspaper industry. It has not gotten its online properties to nearly match the revenue of its traditional print operations, so the firm is still shrinking and has…
My Great Big, Fat Greek Bailout
The bailout of Greece has come down to a very few options: 1) Germany can bail Greece out because it is the one European nation that can afford to, 2) Germany will not bail Greece out…
Is Everything In The World Broken?: Graco Recalls 1.2 Million High Chairs
Mattel (MAT) toys had lead paint in them. Car companies from Toyota (TM) to Nissan to Honda (HMC) have recalled cars for defects, some of them dangerous. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a…
Old White Men Keep Grip On Corporate Board Room
Ninety percent of S&P 500 companies have a female board member, but few hold chairman’s positions or the top jobs on key committees. The situation is much worse at smaller firms. Only 50% of…
Media Digest 3/19/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg
Reuters: China will send an envoy to the US to discuss the yuan. Reuters: European carriers who lost money on the Apple (AAPL) iPhone won’t do the same in their deals to sell the…
The Palm Bunt (PALM)
Palm Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM) rose ahead of earnings on short covering with shares posting an unofficial close of $5.65 for a 5.2% gain. The troubled smartphone maker reported earnings at -$0.61 EPS vs -$0.42…
What’s Left of Delta Petroleum After the Sale? (DPTR)
Delta Petroleum Corporation (NASDAD: DPTR) is one of the top market gainers today on news that the independent oil and gas exploration and development company entered into a non-binding letter of intent for a…
BioHealth Business Daily (APPA, ARIA, MDVN, OSIP, SOMX, TEVA)
These are some of the top movers in the world of BioHealth investing. It is usual that drug companies and biotech stocks have major volatility around news and these are examples of that today. …
Filtering Rumors of the Fed Rate Hike
The stock market has become the marketplace of rumors. Now it seems the same is true for the bond market as well. Rumors have been floating around that the Fed may raise the discount…
S&P Next International Bond Downgrade (BWX)
If you think that the credit issue and risk in sovereign debt is going away any time soon, you better think again. A small under-covered downgrade today is something which should be reviewed by…