What If E*Trade (ETFC) Is Worth Zero?
E*Trade (NASDAQ: ETFC) is making its non-executive chairman Donald Layton CEO today. The move is puzzling since he is a former vice chairman of JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM). He was "installed" in his chairman’s…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
Media Digest 3/3/2008 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg
According to Reuters, the NABE semiannual Economic Policy Survey show that the subprime crisis and heavy debt are still the biggest threats to the economy. Reuters writes that Microsoft (MSFT) will expand its web-based…
Asia Markets 3/3/2008 Sharp Drop (TM)(CN)(PTR)
Most markets in Asia fell sharply. The Nikkei fell 4.5% to 12,992. Canon was down 5.2% to 4570. Honda (HMC) was down 5.8% to 3070. Toyota (TM) was down 3.3% to 5560. The Hang…
Financial Crisis May Not Have Found Bottom
Every morning traders wake up and hope that the financial services disaster has ended and that housing has reach a nadir. Better go back to bed. According to a study put together by four…
Air Force Tankers: The Case Against Northrop (NOC) And EADS
The theater which is congressional politics would have missed an entire act if the porcine members who are re-elected for their ability to bring home the bacon to their districts had not raised a…
Where Does Private Equity Invest Next? (C)(MER)(BX)(S)(MOT)
The business press has had its ear to the rail, and it has heard that more capital is headed toward private equity funds. Some of this money may be invested by the huge sovereign…
Starbucks (SBUX): Any Benefit From Re-Training?
The staff at most of the Starbucks (NYSE: SBUX) recently went though a few hours for training. The nationwide program was designed to make the people working in the stores do a better job…
This week on Stockhouse February 25 – 29
The Dow and the TSX have had a volatile week, spending most of it up on commodities and news of big buybacks Wall Street began a downward turn Thursday that continued with heavy selling…
GM (GM): The Little Problem Of Delphi
Delphi, the former parts operation of GE (NYSE:GM) wants out of Chapter 11. It had a $6.1 billion exit package, but the credit markets have crushed that. Now GM is faced with having to…
Military Tanker Award May Have Served US Interests (GE)(BA)(NOC)
A number of politicians and other patriots were worried that the US military awarding of a contract to build tankers may not have been good for US industry. The contract went to American firm…
Implications Of Warren Buffett Panning Insurance Industry (BRK/A, BRK/B, ABK, MBI, AIG, RE, HIG, CB, PGR)
It is no great mystery that Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A, NYSE: BRK.B) is still one of the most followed and most revered "long term value investors" on the planet. Any time…
Starbucks (SBUX): Coffee Costs Give Margins Another Squeeze
Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) retrained most of its store workers last week. Howard Schultz, the returned founder and CEO, has replaced a number of the lame-brains in senior management. It would be hard to tell…
Stocks Which Had The Worst Of It In February (T)(VZ)(S)(AIG)(GM)(MSFT)
No matter how bad the markets were in February, they were worse for some stocks than for others. Shares in Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) dropped 16% during the second month of the year, which shows…
Fuel-Tech Readies For Earnings (FTEK)
On Wednesday we’ll get to see earnings out of Fuel-Tech, Inc. (NASDAQ: FTEK). The estimates for the combustion engineering solutions provider (cleaner coal) from First Call are $0.17 EPS and $28.04 million in revenues. …
Urban Outfitters: Rare Retail Winner Ahead of Earnings (URBN)
On Thursday morning we’ll get to see earnings out of Urban Outfitters Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN). The estimates for the specialty retail company from First Call are $462.28 million in revenues. Next quarter estimates are…
Clothing Retailers Wait For Chico’s FAS Earnings (CHS, CWTR)
On Tuesday afternoon we’ll get to see earnings out of Chico’s FAS Inc. (NYSE: CHS). The estimates for the specialty womens retailer from First Call are $416.93 million in revenues. Next quarter estimates are…
Chip Stocks Brace For Marvell & National Semi Earnings (NSM, MRVL)
By now, we’ve seen most major tech earnings and we’ve already seen most major chip earnings. If it was a movie, the last earnings and guidance would be called "The Poor and the Fair"…
Short Sellers In Big Lots Ahead of Earnings (BIG)
On Wednesday morning we’ll get to see earnings out of Big Lots Inc. (NYSE: BIG). The estimates for the closeout retailer from First Call are $0.84 EPS on $1.41 billion in revenues. Next quarter…
Can Staples Earnings Change The “going sideways” Path?
On Tuesday morning we’ll get to see earnings out of Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS). The estimates for the office supplier from First Call are $0.47 EPS on $5.37 billion in revenues. Next quarter estimates…
Clearwire Earnings… Win, Lose, or Draw? (CLWR, S, MOT)
On Tuesday morning we’ll get to see earnings out of Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR). The estimates for the wireless broadband service provider from First Call are -$1.01 EPS on $46.13 million in revenues. Next…