Barnes & Noble: More Nook Trouble
courtesy Barnes & Noble Inc.One of the first lessons business school students learn is that it is dangerous to lose money on each product a company sells with the hope that the loss can…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
Netflix: Will Investors Take on Powerful CEOs?
Wikimedia Creative Commons, JohnnyMrNinjaReed Hastings, CEO of Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), might well assume that as the company’s founder he should have an unfettered ability to run the company. That may not be so. Huge…
Japan’s GDP Improvement Disappointing at 1.4%
The International Monetary Fund and other global agencies that forecast economic activity posted warnings a month ago. The gross domestic product (GDP) of most large nations will slow to almost a halt, they predicted.…
Media Digest (8/13/2012) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg
Brent crude rises to a three-month high of $114. (Reuters) Standard Chartered may try to settle with the government over money laundering charges. (Reuters) Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) cuts prices of its…
Gas Prices Jump on Refining Worry
Gasoline prices have begun to move higher, in large part due to a refinery fire at a Chevron (NYSE: CVX) refinery in California. Gas prices have fallen for nearly three months, a trend which…
Companies with the Best Work-Life Balance
Balancing work and personal life is often tricky, especially without the support of employers. According to a recent survey conducted by Glassdoor, a jobs and career website where employees can post reviews about their…
Today’s Best Market Rumors (8/10/2012) IBM and RIM Deal
Updated throughout the day on the 24/7 Wall St. Wire: The government asks large U.S. banks for plans to prevent collapse. (Reuters) International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) approaches Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ:…
Gas Prices Same as Last Year
AAA Fuel Gauge data show that gasoline prices are higher than a year ago for the first time since April. The report shows the average price nationwide for a gallon of regular was $3.673…
Oil Demand Hurt by Economy — IEA
The International Energy Agency (IEA) report on oil demand was another signal of a global economic slowdown that is now likely to last through 2013. In its August Oil Market Report (OMR), the agency…
China’s Exports Rise Only 1%
China’s exports rose only 1% in July, another sign of a sharp deceleration of economic activity around the world. Imports moved higher by 4.7%, so at least there is some hope this will fuel…
What’s Important in the Financial World (8/10/2012)
China’s exports rose only 1% in July, another sign of a sharp deceleration of economic activity around the world. Imports moved higher by 4.7%, so at least there is some hope this will fuel…
Media Digest (8/10/2012) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg
The drought raises more concerns about food inflation. (Reuters) The United States asks banks to set up further plans in the event that they collapse. (Reuters) The U.S. will not prosecute Goldman Sachs Group…
Shorts Cut Interest in Old Tech Firms
Short sellers backed away from their gambles on old tech firms as they increased their positions in new Web 2.0 companies. For the period that ended July 31, short sellers cut their position in Microsoft…
The Food Shortage — One More Thing America Cannot Do
The deep recession and the lack of any meaningful recovery has sliced into the American attitude that citizens and the government can do anything they set their minds to, if only they work hard…
Greek Unemployment at 23.1% as Government Seeks Layoffs
Greece may not be very large by gross domestic product or population, but it could be the single most important test for the effects of austerity. Its unemployment rate is now 23.1%, second only…
Why Won’t Yahoo! Do the Right Thing?
For some reason, Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) believed it had to file a document with the Securities and Exchange Commission explaining that the company’s new CEO Marissa Mayer and the board have reviewed what the…
America’s Worst Companies to Work For
Companies often tout their workplaces as an inviting environment for employees. Yet many are far from it, and employees at many of America’s largest corporations dislike, or even hate, their jobs. With some of…
Video Game Sales Fall in July
NPD Group, the electronics research group, reported that video game sales dropped 20% at retail in July to $548.4. There was nothing surprising about the data. Games have migrated to digital downloads and to portable devices…
Manchester United Prices Below IPO Range
All Manchester United will get for its shares is $14 per. Under the terms of the offering, 16.7 million shares will be offered. Just yesterday, the price range forecast was between $16 to $20.…
Chevron Refinery Explosion
A drop in the supply of oil from the North Sea and the explosion at a Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) refinery in California show just how fragile the crude supply chain is. Each incident…