California’s IOU Fever Is Likely To Spread To Other States
California has begun to issue IOUs to many state vendors as it grows cash on hand dwindles. The largest state in America as measured by GDP is up against a $24 billion deficit.
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
Another Achilles Heel For Social Networks, Cybercrime On Facebook
Facebook is becoming one of the most dangerous places on the internet. According to Reuters, “Scammers break into accounts posing as friends of users, sending spam that directs them to websites that steal personal…
Hyundai Attacks The US Car Market, Again, With $1.49 Gas
Hyundai has been gaining auto market share in the US. The Korean firm sold almost 37,000 light vehicles in America last month. Its success is moving it to a level where it has begin…
When Will China Start Drilling For Oil In America?
China may invest $10 billion in Brazil state oil company, Patrobras, on terms that the Latin American company cannot help but find attractive. In advance of the investment, China has secured 100,000 to 160,000…
Media Digest 8/30/2009 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg
Reuters: Cybercrime is spreading fast on Facebook. Reuters: GM will seek to sell most of its assets to a new company. Reuters: Madoff got 150 years in prison. Reuters: AIG (AIG) shareholders will elect new…
Asia Markets And Europe Open 6/30/2009
Markets in Asia were mixed. The Nikkei rose 1.8% to 9,956. The Hang Seng was up .3% to 18,588. The Shanghai Composite fell .5% to 2,959. At the open in Europe, The FTSE was…
Madoff: Billy The Kid In A Savile Row Suit
Psychologists and psychiatrists around the world gathered for drinks and conversation tonight in their local coffee houses as Bernie Madoff boarded the bus to prison. The world will wait for his death bed confession…
Apollo Now Over $1 Billion in Quarterly Revenues (APOL)
The online university giant Apollo Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL) has just posted its first $1 billion revenue quarter which showed 26% year-over-year growth. The company’s degreed enrollment has now reached 420,700 during the third…
Mid-America Ready To Acquire More Apartment Projects (MAA)
Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc. (NYSE: MAA) has a new investment partnership it plans to use for making acquisitions. The $250 million fund may be a bit misleading on the size, mainly because its partner…
Last Week’s Russell Boots Are Today’s Winners (FNSR, SANM, SIRI, VG, BBI, MNI, FRE, FNM)
Many knew that the huge Russell rebalance stocks was creating huge selling in the names toward the end of last week. Yet on no news today we are seeing solid gains in many of…
Online Job Hunting Still No Cure for the Unemployed
This morning came a report from the Conference Board that is the new version of the old “Help Wanted” Index. There is still a gain in online job postings since March of 35,000, but…
The Economy’s Dilemma: Market To Raise Money Is Still Brutal (GS)(GE)(BRK-A)(BRK-B)(UAUA)(S)(CLWR)(AIG)
Analysts were appalled when Goldman Sachs (GS) paid a 10% coupon on a $5 billion investment made by Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A)(BRK-B) in September of last year. He also was given an option…
Analyst Endorses Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B)
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B) has picked up a new analyst and new coverage. Very few analysts cover the stock due to its share price and its holding company model. Keefe Bruyette…
Analyst Piling Into SolarWinds After Quiet Period (SWI)
SolarWinds, Inc. (NYSE: SWI) is indicated up this morning. The recent IPO’s quiet period by analysts has ended and the initiations of new coverage looks positive on the surface. Since its IPO, shares have…
Saving the World Economy From Peter Mandelson
John Tamny Whenever politicians see fit to offer up policy solutions to economic problems, a healthy bit of skepticism is in order. Indeed, to paraphrase the great economist Charles Kadlec, bull markets never die…
Top 10 Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades (AA, BBBY, BRK.A, DFS, LYG, SNY, SWI, TRW, ZBRA)
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations of new coverage which we have see from Wall Street this Monday morning: ALCOA (AA) Cut to Underperform at FBR. Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY)…
Microsoft (MSFT) And Sony (SNE) To Drop Game Prices
Sony (SNE) is getting ready drop the price on its PS3 and Microsoft (MSFT) is set to do the same with the Xbox 360. At least that is how “inside baseball” tech site Ars…
Twitter Becomes An Enemy Of Big Business
Twitter has a lot of people posing as someone they are not, a problem that plagues larger social networks MySpace and Facebook. The trend with Twitter is becoming a significant problem for big corporations. According toThe…
In A Strange Development, Big Oil Turns To Wind Power
Oil exploration and refining companies are natural enemies of alternative energy. Wind power, nuclear power, clean coal, and solar could all undermine the value of crude in world markets. Oil companies have a great…
TARP Warrants: Spreading the Value Game Beyond The Government
The Treasury said that it plans to dispose of the warrants that it got from banks as part of bail out financing given to, and, in some cases, forced upon major US financial firms…