Why Ever Buy A Toyota Again?
The news media is filled with stories about the eight million or more vehicles that Toyota (NYSE:TM) has recalled in the US, China, and Europe. These have gas pedals that can stick, which can cause unintended…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
A Dying DVD Business Causes Layoffs At Sony (SNE)
Sony (NYSE:SNE) has had enough problems in the three years since Howard Stringer became CEO. The company’s PS3 has been a disappointment, regularly underselling the Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSF) Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. Prices for…
The 192-Page Federal Budget: Drilling Down
The news media covered all the top line information about the new White House budget. Expenditures will be $3.8 trillion, if the package is approved. The deficit will be $1.6 trillion in fiscal 2010, and…
Goldman Sachs: Lloyd Blankfein’s Missing Paycheck
The Times of London wrote that Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) CEO Lloyd Blankfein would be paid $100 million for his work as the head of the bank during 2009. Goldman’s public relations staff denied the story…
Media Digest 2/2/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg
Reuters: Volcker will testify that banks should curb risky trading. Reuters: The US sees “no reason” to challenge the Toyota (NYSE:TM) plan to fix cars it has recalled for pedal trouble. Reuters: The new…
Asia Markets And Europe Open (2/2/2010)
Markets in Asia were mixed. The Nikkei rose 1.6% to 10,371. Toyota (NYSE:TM) rose as it shipped parts to complete its recalls. The Hang Seng rose a fraction to 20,251. The Shanghai Composite was…
SIRIUS XM Snags Yet Another Upgrade (SIRI)
SIRIUS XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) may have some risks for new Pandora web radio to the car and over Howard Stern’s contract expiration at the end of 2010, but that is not keeping…
A Hostile Takeover Bid For Barnes & Noble As The Company Loses Ground To Amazon
Ron Burkle, a financier who is fond of raiding retail companies, plans to take a 37% stake in the nation’s largest bricks-and-mortar book seller, Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS). Burkle’s Yucaipa investment funds have already…
Federal Reserve Survey: Consumers Don’t Want A Loan
Today the Federal Reserve released its survey of senior loan officers covering the fourth quarter of 2009. The survey covered delinquency rates on commercial and industrial loans made to both small and large firms.…
Wrestling for Control of Barnes & Noble (BKS)
A war is beginning to take place over Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS). Ron Burkle, a well-known activist investor who heads various activist investor funds under the name Yucaipa, is trying to go…
Technical Alert: JPMorgan Vs. Key Banks (JPM, BAC, C, WFC, XLF, FAS)
The recent trading days have been more than interesting in the market and in the financial sector. The big change came right at the same time that the banks looked poised for another potential…
Analysts Warming to Oracle More and More (ORCL, IBM, SAP)
Oracle Corp. (NASDAQ: ORCL) has just completed its acquisition of Sun Microsystems, and so far we are seeing analysts overwhelmingly in favor of the stock based on the most recent calls or on recent…
Ethanol Boom in Brazil
Since the beginning of the year, Brazil’s ethanol industry has generated more than its share of news. Today brings the announcement of a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A) and Cosan Limited (CZZ)…
Brand Keys Laughable Loyalty Awards
Most brand valuations done by consultancies render suspect figures because none are based on completely transparent data. This is particularly true of the well-known Brand Z and Interbrand annual numbers. Each of these two firms has…
SPAC Deals Keep Rolling; More Blank Checks Set to Emerge (NLX, CSAQF, AXG, CFQCF, AMRR)
We have been given some exclusive coverage on the recent developments in special purpose acquisition companies and blank check companies from SPACupdate.com this morning. Deals with news on deck are in Overture Acquisition Co.…
Today’s Best Market Rumors (2/1/2010) (TTWO)(C)(AAPL)
Updated throughout the day Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) will get a $100 million bonus (Times of London) Morgan Stanley (NYSE::MS) will hire hundreds of traders over the next few years (FT). Citigroup…
Top Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (BIDU, CPN, ID, M, MIR, OMCL, PLD, RFMD, RRI, SLXP, TWX, VRTX)
These are Monday’s top analyst upgrades, downgrades, and initiations seen in Wall Street research calls: Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) Raised to Neutral at Credit Suisse. Calpine Corp. (NYSE: CPN) Raised to Equal Weight at…
Health Care, and the 16 Percent of GDP Canard
John Tamny from Forbes Nowhere in the Constitution is health care mentioned as something the federal government has the power to oversee. Yet politicians in both political parties pay varying degrees of lip…
Nokia Cuts Prices, Starts Handset Price War
The price war for market share in the cellular business have moved from carriers to handset manufacturers. AT&T (NYSE:T) and Verizon Wireless have dropped subscriber fees in a battle for US customers. Now Nokia (NYSE:NOK)…
China GDP Growth Trumps Arms Dispute
The People’s Republic had a particularly nasty reaction to the US plan to sell $6.4 billion in arms to Taiwan. China threatened to suspended military cooperation with America and sanction the US manufactures who made…