America’s Most Valuable CEOs
flickr / eschipulThere is a nearly endless number of criteria that measure how well CEOs perform, whether they are paid fairly, and what metrics should be used for determining chief executive compensation. One yardstick…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
What’s Important in the Financial World (11/15/2012)
ThinkstockEurope Returns to Recession Europe has dropped into recession or nearly so. Eurostat reported that third-quarter gross domestic product in the euro-area fell 0.1%, compared with the second quarter. Among the EU27, GDP registered…
Fifty Million Americans in Poverty
Based on the data the Census Bureau’s just released report, “The Research Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2011,” the poverty level in the United States is slightly worse than previously posted, with 50 million Americans below…
German, French Economies Continue to Sputter
ThinkstockGermany and France continue to barely grow, which means the chance that the two largest economies in Europe could slip into recession has risen again. Germany’s Federal Statistics Office reported that the country’s gross…
Forgotten Smartphone Companies Disappear
ThinkstockAlmost every major point in the Gartner third-quarter mobile phone report was expected. Sales rose 47% over the same period last year to 428 million. Samsung extended its lead as the largest handset company.…
Media Digest (11/15/2012) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg
courtesy of AOLAs a Justice Department investigation of Deepwater Horizon continues, BP PLC (NYSE: BP) may pay a record fine for the results of the disaster. (Reuters) Qatar says it would back a merger…
Texas Instruments to Sack 1,700
Texas Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: TXN), elbowed out of much of the mobile and consumer electronics chip industry by Samsung, ARM and Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM), fired 1,700 people today, as the demand for much…
What’s Important in the Financial World (11/14/2012)
Courtesy of Tesla MotorsA Scary Federal Budget Deficit The federal budget deficit rose 22% in October to $120 billion, compared to the same period last year. Most analysts believe that the figure makes it…
A New Editor Cannot Save the Washington Post
Courtesy of The Washington Post CompanyThe flagship paper of The Washington Post Co. (NYSE: WPO) dumped its chief editor, Marcus Brauchli, formerly of The Wall Street Journal, and replaced him with the editor of…
More Awful Plans for Best Buy
ThinkstockChief executives who have no real plans to turn around troubled companies often offer generalities in the place of details. Put another way, they put vagueness in the place of tactics, and hope in…
The Disappearing Quality Car
ThinkstockThere is nothing on the Toyota Motor Corp.’s (NYSE: TM) U.S. website about a recall of 2.8 million cars for steering and water pump problems. Or, if there is a note, it is carefully…
Media Digest (11/14/2012) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg
thinkstockAdvanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) has hired J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) to explore options, which may include the firm’s sale. (Reuters) Federal Reserve Vice Chair Janet Yellen says the Fed…
Today’s Best Market Rumors (11/13/2012)
ThinkstockUpdated throughout the day on the 24/7 Wall St. Wire: Windows and Windows Live President Steven Sinofsky leaves Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) because he pressed for Steve Ballmer’s job. (various) The International Monetary Fund…
What’s Important in the Financial World (11/13/2012)
ThinkstockGerman Economic Sentiment Germany’s economic fortunes have begun to crumble, as so many experts feared. There was very modest hope that the European Union’s largest nation by gross domestic product might sail through the region’s…
Avon’s New CEO Drives the Stock into the Tank
ThinkstockSherilyn McCoy became Avon Products Inc.’s (NYSE: AVP) new CEO on April 23. Her job was to turn around the company that had been nearly wrecked by her predecessor, Andrea Jung. Since then Avon’s…
Best Buy and the “Great Woman” Theory of Business Success
ThinkstockShares of Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) rose as much as 4% after an announcement that Sharon McCollam, who used to be the director, executive vice president, chief operating and chief financial officer…
Apple Is the Most Productive Retailer, or Not
courtesy of Apple Inc.Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) often has been described as the most productive of all retailers. The well-regarded annual productivity study from Retail Sails confirms this. But sales per square foot, which is…
Media Digest (11/13/2012) Reuters, WSJ, NY Times, FT
courtesy of AOL, IncThe head of Microsoft Corp.’s (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows unit, Steven Sinofsky, suddenly leaves the company, not long after the launch of Windows 8. (Reuters) U.K. lawmakers attack Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ: SBUX),…
Verizon Wireless Issues $8.5 Billion Dividend
The management and shareholders of Vodafone, the minority shareholder of Verizon Wireless had a good day. The largest cellular carrier in the U.S. issued an $8.5 billion dividend to its two holders, which includes…
Note to NYT’s Sulzberger: Fire New CEO, Save Your Reputation
ThinkstockPoll your editors and writers, Mr. Sulzberger. They don’t decide who runs your company, but they are opinion leaders in the world or the press, culture, the media and business. Most of them almost…