What Sub-$50 Oil Means For You
If you wanted help from the oil front, the help you have sought has come and may be a curse. Forget oil close to $150.00 per barrel and forget whatever T. Boone Pickens tells…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
Does Pepsi Guidance Even Matter? (PEP, PBG, KO)
PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) issued a statement this morning noting that the company would reaffirm its core guidance at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer and Retail Conference. Pepsi is reaffirming its previously announced full-year…
Credit Cards: The Next Big Financial Explosion
A number of bank analysts believe that the reason industry earnings will not improve next year is a sharp spike up in credit card defaults. In many cases, financial companies are faced with more…
Microsoft Debt Registration (MSFT)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) has just filed a shelf registration statement with the SEC that will allow the company to sell debt instruments from time to time if it chooses. No terms were given,…
National Oilwell Varco, Schlumberger Team Up (NOV, SLB, BP)
One oilfield services giant, Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB), and one large oilfield services and well manufacturing company, National Oilwell Varco (NYSE:NOV), have announced plans to form a joint venture focused on intelligent well-drilling. National will own…
People Still Driving Less, Oil Demand Destruction
The US Department of Transportation yesterday released its report on traffic volume for the month of September. Compared with 2007, miles driven fell by 4.4% during the month, and cumulative travel for 2008 dropped…
Jobless Claims & Ominous Revelations
Weekly jobless claims just hit a new current recession high with a reading of 542,000 filing for unemployment. This is the highest reading since 1992. Last week’s numbers were revised down by 1,000 jobs…
Citigroup (C): Why Would The Prince Take The Risk?
Saudi Arabian investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is taking a very big risk, upping his investment in Citigroup (C). A sign he likes management? A copy of the letter from…
GMAC Wants To Be A Bank
According to MarketWatch: "GMAC Financial Services, said Thursday it has applied to become a bank holding company to access emergency cash under the U.S. Treasury’s Capital Purchase Program. As a bank holding company, GMAC…
Early Bird Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades (CPHD, SCHW, DSX, GYMB, WIN, AMED, EGLE, NMM, SOL, PAY)
These are some of the top early bird analyst upgrades and downgrades we are seeing this Thursday morning: Cepheid (CPHD) Started as Buy at Needham. Charles Schwab (SCHW) Raised to Market Perform at FBR.…
Why Does GE (GE) Need To Raise More Money?
After paying dearly for money from the likes of Warren Buffett, why would GE (GE) need more cash? It appears that the big conglomerate is looking, which may not be especially good news for…
Baidu.com Analyst Pile-One (BIDU)
Baidu.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) looks like an analyst convention started on the steps to its corporate headquarters. The Chinese search giant did manage to score an upgrade, but it also took a downgrade and…
Major S&P Stocks On Decade Lows (AA, AMAT, AMD, DOW, EK, GCI, HOG, INTC, IP, JNY, M, MU, MSFT, NWL, NWS, SLE, STX, LUV, HOT, YRCW)
Covering any part of the positives in this market has been literally as rewarding as jumping in the bear cage with the bears at the zoo. We have been refraining from doing as many…
GM (GM) And Chrysler: Why Die Alone?
Rumors have surfaced again that Chrysler and GM (GM) may restart talks about a merger. For some time analysts and executives at the two companies have believed that a marriage would save $5 billion…
Microsoft (MSFT) Zune Being Washed Out With The Tide
It is like fighting an army with a pea-shooter. Microsoft (MSFT) is changing the subscription model for its Apple (AAPL) iPod knock-off, the Zune. According to Reuters, MSFT "announced a new music subscription plan…
Putting It Balance Sheet On The Line, GE (GE) Becomes The World’s Bank
GE (GE) has guts. And, that may be what it takes to keep the company’s revenue and earnings growing. It is preparing to lend money to more and more customers who want to buy…
Pension Funds Get Ready To Risk Payouts
It used to be a pretty good deal to work at a large US company for several decades and then retire with a pension and health benefits. A lot of that part of the…
The Market Thinks The Bailout Is Bogus
A quick look at bank stocks would indicate that Wall St. is not terribly impressed with the Paulson $700 billion bailout plan. Citigroup (C), the whipping boy of the group, may be at a…
Media Digest 11/20/2008 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg
According to Reuters, Japan exports hit their lowest level since 2002. Reuters writes that hopes for an auto bailout in this session of Congress are poor. Reuters reports that the US is looking into…
Asia Markets And Europe Open 11/20/2008
Markets in Asia fell sharply. The Nikkei was off 6.9% to 7,703. Canon and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial took huge losses. The Hang Seng fell 4.2% to 12,279. The Shanghai Composite was off 1.7% to…