Nike on Buybacks: Just Do It (NKE)
Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) has decided to jump on the stock buyback bandwagon this morning. The footwear and sports apparel and equipment maker has just announced it would repurchase up to $5 billion in…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
Microsoft’s $40 Billion Stock Buyback (MSFT)
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) is announcing another monster share buyback plan. This one gives it the authorization to repurchase as much as $40 billion worth of stock. Its last buyback plan has been completed. …
Microsoft Scores AAA Rating From S&P (MSFT)
Standard & Poor’s has just made what appears to be its first new "AAA" corporate credit rating in years. The winner is none other than Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT). Its short-term and commercial paper…
Lowe’s (LOW) Set To Curb New Store Plans
In a sign that the people with the closest view of housing expect market conditions to remain weak for a long time, Lowe’s (LOW) is expected to announce this week that it is curbing…
Top Pre-Market Upgrades & Downgrades (AB, ABFS, CNY, DKX, BEN, KMT, ODFL, OTTR, PZN, RJF, JOE, TROW, YRCW)
These are not all of the research calls affecting shares of stock, but these are some we have our eyes on this Monday: Alliance Bernstein (AB) Raised to Outperform at KBW. Arkansas Best (ABFS)…
USA Per Capita Bailout Costs
The $700 billion financial system bailout has so far stabilized the financial markets. That part is hard to debate. The long term effects, the path, and the implications are, of course, up for debate. …
GM (GM) Dives Into Its Line Of Credit–Running On Empty
General Motors (GM) said on Friday that it will draw down $3.5 billion on the $4.5 billion line of credit it put in place with JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Citigroup (C) back in 2006.…
Pushing The Bailout To $2 Trillion
Paulson, Bernanke & Co. are learning just how diabolical the legislative process can be. Their $700 billion financial rescue program is meant to buy toxic assets from US banks and financial companies. Since the…
The Goldman Sachs (GS) Community Savings & Loan
Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) today give up their vaunted status as investment banks, no longer being the top dogs of the financial world. In this ancient industry, there is now no…
Media Digest 9/22/2008 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg
According to Reuters, Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) will give up their investment banking status and become bank holding companies to have access to the government’s proposed $700 billion bailout fund. Reuters…
Asia Markets 9/22/2008 Nomura, CNOOC
Markets in Asia were higher with the Shanghai Composite up 7.7%. The Nikkei rose 1.4% to 12,091. Nomura Holdings was up as much as 9%. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group was up more than 4%.…
Paulson Emasculates His Own Bill: Bailing Out Foreign Banks
Henry Paulson has suggested that part of the genius of his plan to save the US financial system by purchasing toxic mortgage paper from banks and brokerages is that it is simple and free…
Killing The Bailout: A Million Add-Ons To The Paulson Bill
Nearly everyone in Congress likes the Paulson plan to bail out American financial institutions by purchasing up to $700 billion of their troubled assets. Nearly every legislator wants to add new language to cover…
Bail-Out Legislation: A Dictatorship For The Treasury Secretary
Most dictators get to wear general’s uniforms, have multiple palaces, and several wives. Henry Paulson had better call his tailor. The Administration’s proposal to buy up to $700 billion in mortgage-related securities from financial…
Bush Asks For $700 Billion
According to The Associated Press,The Bush administration is asking Congress to let the government buy $700 billion in bad mortgages as part of the largest financial bailout since the Great Depression. The plan would…
Paulson’s Bail-Out: No New Jobs
Henry Paulson’s program to save the economic universe from dark powers may or may not rescue the financial system. It comes with a $1 trillion checking account which the government will use to buy…
Clearwire CFO Not Part of NewCo (CLWR, S)
After Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR) closes its venture with Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S), the company CEO Benjamin Wolff has made several recommended appointments. It is also losing its CFO. As the company states…
The 52-Week Low Club 9/19/2008 (IHS)(DM)(OTTR)
Bad day for the 52-week low club. IHS (IHS) Decision to buy Global Insight for $200 million drives shares down. Bottom at $45.66 from 52-week high of $72.19. Dolan Media (DM) No news, just…
Companies Not On SEC Short Sale Ban, But Should Be
Frankly, we think the ban on short sales is not the right way to run a free market. But it doesn’t matter what we think. These are the new rules, but they do not…
Autos Next In Government Handouts? (GM, F)
If you look at the auto stocks today, you might deduce that they are next in line for the government corporate bread lines and farm camp jobs. Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) is…