These are some of the top pre-market analyst calls we have seen this Friday morning…. Friday the 13th: ASML (ASML) Raised to Buy at Deutsche Bank. ATMI (ATMI) Raised to Buy at UBS. MEMC…
Instead of keeping his opinions to himself, the head of the IMF decided to pass along depressing news as Europe released several pieces of downbeat data including poor results for EU Q4 GDP. “The…
GM (GM) and Ford (F) each used to have remarkably profitable European operations. A large part of their annual net income came from the region. Now, it looks like auto sales in the EU…
To cut down on the numbers of stores without Windows in the US, Microsoft (MSFT) is launching its own retail outlets. Given the size of its customer base, it would seem to be like…
It the race to give shareholders good returns and keep profits high, companies are often faced with whether or not to change the marketing and pricing of valuable brands. It creates a risk. Mercedes…
The quickest way to help the auto industry would be to make sure that no one in the US defaults on a car loan. Certainly the government could make sure that people who are…
Retail sales for January were better than expected, up 1%. Surprising news often leaves people addled. They look for some reason that the facts are different than were expected and often head off in…
According to Reuters, Obama is working on a program to help some homeowners pay their mortgages. Reuters reports that Wall St’s appetite to slim down perks will begin to face tests. Reuters reports that…
Markets in Asia were higher. The Nikkei rose 1% to 7,779. The Hang Seng was up 2.2% to 13,527. The Shanghai Composite rose 3.2% to 2,321. In Europe, at the open, the FTSE was…
It makes some perverse sense. The New York Times (NYT) business section is running ads for “Signs of bipolar disorder” placed there through its text marketing relationship with Google (GOOG). The Times would be…
Toyota (TM) will make large cuts in its North American operations as sales in the region continue to fall. Given the strength of the Japanese company’s balance sheet, the moves speak volumes about how…
The market rallied strongly into the close on news that the Administration was planning to offer financial help to deserving homeowners who are falling behind on their mortgages. According to Reuters, “The Obama administration…
Dow Chemical Co. (NYSE: DOW) probably would have had a much better day if the market did not plunge at the end of the day. In university finance classes they teach you that cutting…
The New York Times Company (NYT) Concerns about advertising persist. Down to $4.05 from 52-week high of $21.14. Gildan Activewear (GIL) Bad earnings outlook. Plunges to $7.24 from 52-week high of $42.74. Capital One Financial…
Thinking big can be a blessing or a curse. In the case of green power generation, big ideas can be hard to translate into workable plans because we have so little experience with scaled-up…
Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) was unable to find buyers for $500 million worth of Senior Notes that are a component the company’s 7.625% Equity Units (NYSE:ETRPrA) due February 11, 2011. It has canceled the remarketing…
If you thought that the SIRIUS XM Radio Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) situation couldn’t get more complex, it could. It has. Reports of it getting ready for bankruptcy, and then getting a controlling debt investment…
General Motors (NYSE: GM) bondholders are requesting more money in exchange for forgiving billions in debt and are threatening to push the company into bankruptcy if they don’t get it, according to reports from…
We’ve said before that the way pipeline companies grow is by building or buying more pipelines. In its earnings report for the fourth quarter, Plains All American Pipeline LP (NYSE: PAA) proves the point.…
Retail sales were much better than expected which leaves economists to ponder if it is the beginning of a recovery trend in one of the industries hardest hit by the recession. U.S.retail sales in January were…