Consumer Credit Keeps Dropping (V, MA)
There is a reading of the economy which we used to see only go up and up, and that is the monthly consumer credit. In the month of February, consumers cut their borrowings and…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
ADM, Another Greenwashing Event (ADM)
Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) has seen its stock pounded by double-digit percentages today. While economic woes are acting against it, ADM and Canadian Bioenergy Corporation announced that the companies have entered into…
China’s Strange Assault on the Dollar
Is a supersovereign currency really anti-U.S. or really smart? By Gabriel Beltrone of The Big Money While the International Monetary Fund struggles to work through its identity crisis, China has decided to rock the…
Alcoa, Not A Real Earnings Season Proxy (AA)
Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) is leading off the deluge of earnings report for the Q1-2009 earnings season today. Historically, many traders have thought that Alcoa could be used as a measuring stick for other…
Bailout Dilemma: Ratings Agencies Win, Despite Fault (MCO, MHP, BRK-A)
If you have read us for a long period of time, you know exactly how we feel about the ratings agencies. We attribute much of the blame of the current financial crisis to their…
2009 Hurricane Season Outlook: Now ‘Just Average’
The Colorado State University forecast team has predicted that the 2009 hurricane season will be an “average” Atlantic basin hurricane season year rather than a light year or heavy year. This new forecast now…
Top CEO Poll: Fire People As Fast As Possible
The Business Roundtable is a small group of CEOs, but an elite one. Its members are chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with more than $5 trillion in annual revenue and nearly 10…
Lukoil, Profits & Losses (COP, LUKOY)
The largest non-government owned oil company in Russia, OAO Lukoil, has reported a net loss of $1.6 billion for the fourth quarter of 2008, according to the company’s financial statements filed today. The company…
Rio Tinto Cuts Australian Jobs (RTP)
Citing low demand for aluminum, Rio Tinto plc (NYSE:RTP) has cut more than 700 jobs at its Australian mines. The company also plans to slow the expansion project at one mine by nearly 23%…
More Solar Power Comes to Colorado (XEL, SPWRA)
Xcel Energy Inc. (NYSE:XEL) plans to build a 17-megawatt photovoltaic solar power plant in Colorado using cells from SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR-A). The plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2010, and…
Citi Upgrades American Express (AXP) to Hold; Bear Case Losing Steam
Citi upgrades American Express (NYSE: AXP) from Sell to Hold. Price target increased from $9 to $16. Citi analyst says, “Given the stock performance over the past four months (shares down 40%) and some…
The Good Of a Dollar Alternative
By John Tamny of RealClearMarkets When it’s asked why foreigners frequently look askance at Americans, the answer usually boils down to our supposedly obnoxious nature; one that at times reveals itself in foreign policy…
Top Analyst Downgrades (ANSS, CBT, ED, CFR, DUK, LLY, EL, GGP, HW, ISRG, OMTR, RBS)
These are some of the top analyst downgrades and cautious research calls we have seen from Wall Street early this Tuesday morning: Ansys (ANSS) Cut to Neutral from Overweight at JPMorgan. Cabot (CBT) Cut…
Top Analyst Upgrades (ADBE, ALGT, AXP, DRIV, GMR, MSFT, NFLX, OMTR, CRM, SYMC)
These are some of the top analyst upgrades or positive initiations we have seen early this morning with about two hours until the open: Adobe Systems (ADBE) Raised to Outperform at RBC. Allegiant Travel…
IMF Says Toxic Asset Damage Getting Much Worse
Every time the IMF issues an estimate for the cost of the losses from toxic assets at the world’s financial institutions, the numbers get worse. According to the Times, “;Toxic debts racked up by banks and…
GM’s (GM) Future May Ride On Two Wheels And Not Four
GM’s (GM) domestic car sales are off almost 50% this year, so selling cars is no longer the company’s strength. Since it is an auto firm, coming up with an alternative business would seem…
Freezing The Pay Of Everyone In America
One alternative path to firing people used by some companies is to freeze the pay of employees. In some cases firms have such tremendous revenue problems that they lay off people and cap the pay…
Another Setback But Blockbuster (BBI) Is Likely To Survive
Blockbuster’s (BBI) auditors gave the company a “going concern” letter which is often a kiss of death. The document is a way for the accounting firm to say the operation is unlikely to make it…
Making The Markets Nervous: Annual Federal Deficit Already $1 Trillion
The Congressional Budget Office issued its estimate for the deficit created in the federal government’s fiscal first half, which ended on March 31. The number was $953 billion. Depending on how the TARP outlays…
Capitalism Finally Takes Root In Russia
The people in a perfect society should all earn nothing, or alternatively, should all earn the same amount, depending on the interpretation of the most important Communist manifestos. The exception is in the section…