Asia Markets And Europe Open 5/11/2009
Markets in Asia were mixed. The Nikkei rose .2% to 4,592. The Hang Seng was up .6% to 17,488. The Shanghai Composite fell 1.8% to 2,580. At the open in Europe, the FTSE was…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
Antitrust: Intel (INTC), The Next Microsoft (MSFT)
The Financial Times is reporting that EU antitrust authorities are preparing to levy a huge fine against the world’s largest chip company, Intel (INTC). The paper writes that “Some lawyers suggest that the record…
Poor Bets in Oil & Derivatives, Rethinking the Buffett Game (BRK-A, BRK-B, COP, WFC, DOW)
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) (NYSE: BRK-B) may have had the wind behind its back from its annual shareholder meeting, but that wind now may be breaking wind. This was Warren Buffett’s quarterly loss…
Is Google Really Worth $600? (GOOG)
You know the market sentiment and the bull/bear tone has changed when you see research targets get this high. Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) is trading up over 3% today on positive broker research. Frankly,…
Economics of U.S. Postage Stamp Price Hikes (FDX, UPS)
Both FedEx Corporation (NYSE: FDX) and United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) are likely watching government competition for next week. Starting on Monday, the price of most traditional mail will rise. This will have…
Baker Hughes Files New $2 Billion Shelf Registration (BHI)
Baker Hughes Inc. (NYSE: BHI) has just filed a new shelf registration statement with the SEC to sell up to $2 billion in mixed securities. As with most shelf registrations, no underwriters were named…
Williams, Other Services Companies in Venezuela’s Sights (WMB, HAL, SLB, BJS, BHI)
The Venezuelan government passed a law permitting the nationalization of oil field services companies, compensating companies for expropriating assets by issuing bonds instead of paying with cash. The law could even lead to the…
Car Sick
Cash-for-clunkers deals will boost sales. And mindless manufacturing. By Matthew DeBord of The Big Money After some legislative back-and-forth, it looks as if America will finally get a “cash for clunkers” program. The proposal…
Dendreon Takes In More Than $200 Million in New Cash (DNDN)
Dendreon Corporation (NASDAQ: DNDN) is selling stock to raise cash. The company has announced a spot secondary offering of 10.7 million shares in a public secondary offering of common stock. This comes on the…
E*TRADE Raising $150 Million in Capital (ETFC)
E*TRADE Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: ETFC) has just filed with the SEC to sell up to $150 million worth of common stock. J.P.Morgan was listed as the distribution agent, and shares may either be sold…
Is Energy Conversion Devices Finally a Buy? (ENER, FSLR, TAN)
The solar power business has had its ups and downs, with the downs prevailing lately. Even meeting the modest EPS expectation of $0.09 for the current quarter might be challenging for Energy Conversion Devices,…
When 8.9% Unemployment Starts Sounding Good
The Labor Department has posted the unemployment rate and nonfarm payrolls data from April. The official government unemployment rate was 8.9%, up from 8.5% in March. The change in nonfarm payrolls came in at…
More Green Sprouts Grow In Hamburger: McDonald’s Sales
McDonald’s (MCD) added to the list of pleasant surprises from April economic activity. The world’s largest fast food company’s global comparable sales rose 6.9% in April, marking the 72nd consecutive monthly increase. The fastest…
Growing Natural Gas Fuel Station Footprint (CLNE, EXH)
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq: CLNE) is adding more natural gas fueling stations. The Pickens-backed business is acquiring the natural gas fueling station business of Exterran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EXH), including natural gas station…
Top Analyst Downgrades (EGLE, IHG, NE, PHG)
These are the top pre-market analyst downgrades we have seen early this Friday morning with more than two and a half hours until the open: Eagle Bulk Shipping, Inc. (EGLE) Cut to Sell at…
Top Analyst Upgrades (COST, DEO, ESC, HD, LOW, TGT, VRSN, WMT)
These are some of the top pre-market analyst upgrades we have seen with about two and a half hours until the market opens this Friday morning: Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) Started as Buy at…
Asia Markets And Europe Open 5/8/2009
Markets in Asia were modestly higher. The Nikkei rose .5% to 9,433. The Hang Seng was up .7% to 17,345. The Shanghai Composite rose 1.1% to 2,626. At the open in Europe, the FTSE…
The View From China: World Economy Will Get Worse
Chinese leaders reckon that their economy is getting better, but the world’s is getting worse and will do so for some time. Their optimism about their own country is based on the supposed intelligent…
Troubling Signs That Oil Prices Could Hamper Recovery
For the last several months, oil prices have been a bright spot in the economic picture. Most analysts believe that the recession would have been even worse than it is if oil prices had…
Toyota (TM) Is Mortal
Toyota (TM), the most successful car company of the last two decades, suffered several of the indignities that other car firms have faced for the last two years. The No.1 auto firm in the…