Stock Market Rally Never Deceived Small Investors
ThinkstockSmall investors thought the recent stock market rally was too good to be true. That means they may stay out of a market to which some legions never returned, as it became dominated by…
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Douglas A. McIntyre
For Kids, Living in Mississippi Sucks
ThinkstockIt is just as bad being a child living in Mississippi as it is being an adult. The same holds true for most other states in the Deep South, including Louisiana, South Carolina and…
Why the Market Hates Facebook Shares
Brian Solis, via Wikimedia CommonsBased on the rumor that Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB) will start the equivalent of a news feed (Reader) for its members, the market ought to be trading the social network’s…
Bank for International Settlements: Easy Access to Capital Compounds Risk
ThinkstockThe general manager of the Bank for International Settlements, Jaime Caruana, warned that central banks have gone too far in terms of making easy credit available to their economies. What once was part of…
Another Facebook App: A Way for the Barely Literate to Find News
courtesy of Facebook Inc.People who believe that the news is sacred and that readers should decide which news is important and which is not will be hit by another new media tool to dash…
Ifo Business Climate Index: Germany “Holds Its Course”
ThinkstockGermany’s very, very modest economic improvement continued. However, the pace is slow enough that continued problems among other European Union nations could still drag it under. And those problems do continue, based on recent…
787 Dreamliner Faces Another Problem with Forced Landing
courtesy Boeing Co.The 787 Dreamliner program gave Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) another black eye. One of the planes, operated by United Continental Holdings Inc. (NYSE: UAL) was forced to land because of a brake…
Shanghai Composite Drops 5.3% as Nikkei Ends Down
ThinkstockWorry about a slowing economy and a future lack of credit in the market caused the Shanghai Composite to be crushed — down 5.3%. Related worries, which also concerned those about the possible end…
The Men’s Warehouse Goofball Board
ThinkstockThe board of Men’s Warehouse Inc. (NYSE: WM) is made up of people who should not be on any public board. The irony is that all were added on the watch of fired chairman…
International Jobs Data: Anxiety, Near Despair
ThinkstockAnxiety about whether people can get good jobs remains particularly high, despite the so-called end of the recession in many parts of the world. It should be expected that the data from Europe would…
Americans Work from Home, Watch TV and Sleep
ThinkstockFor Americans who have nothing to do once their workdays end, watching television fills in many of the hours. Perhaps people have more time on their hands as many do not have to commute.…
Greek Government May Fall over Austerity
ThinkstockSome of the parties that form the coalition that rules Greece have pulled out of the alliance. It appears another European government could fall over the question of austerity, or at the very least…
Eurozone Interbank Activity Falls — Reuters
ThinkstockIn a sign of a loss of confidence in the balance sheets of some of the European Union’s largest banks, interbank lending has fallen among large financial firms. The falloff of this practice was…
A Major Setback for Fiat in J.D. Power Survey
Courtesy Chrysler Group LLCFiat took control of Chrysler to get a major presence and sales in the U.S. market. It also hoped the deal would give it a beachhead for its primary brand. That…
What Company Might Buy Nokia? The Smartphone Industry’s Biggest Question
courtesy of Nokia Corp.According to several news reports, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) made it into advanced discussions to buy troubled handset company Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK). Talks with other handset, personal computer and consumer…
China PMI Shows Deep Economic Distress
ThinkstockMarkit issued its PMI data for China in June. The numbers were awful, and another indication that the economy in the People’s Republic is in great trouble. Modest stimulus packages and other actions by…
German PMI Shows Slight Economic Recovery
ThinkstockMarkit issues its flash PMI for Germany and several other nations: Marginal growth in output was recorded in the German private sector during June, but latest PMI data pointed to declining new orders and…
Mobile, Ala.: Still One of America’s Worst and Most Dangerous Cities
Flickr - Marshall AstorMobile, Ala., has started a charm offensive to convince outsiders that it is somehow a better city than statistics show, at least based on crime and other demographic measures. It is…
America’s Most Wasteful Companies
ThinkstockBig companies often invest in research and development to promote growth and profitability. Yet this expense can sometimes be a waste. For every Intel or Merck, which invests wisely, there is an AMD or…
Immigration Law: Flaws with CBO Analysis on Federal Budget
ThinkstockThere was tremendous excitement among members of Congress and then the general public when the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released data that showed that “enacting S. 744 would generate changes in direct spending and…