As Bill Weldon leaves the headquarters of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), probably many years from now, he will know that his tenure will be remembered for hip replacement and children’s Tylenol recalls and not…
The anniversary of the Japan earthquake, which killed over 16,000 people and caused the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, is only two weeks away. Immediately after the disaster, several European nations decided…
Investors did not think much of Walmart’s fiscal fourth quarter and full years earning. Walmart’s stock fell 4% immediately after its announcement. The one exception is that US sales, which have been troubled for years, rose 2.4%…
As recently as 2009, Netflix was the most beloved retailer on the Internet. By the end of 2011, following the failed separation of its streaming and DVD by mail service and sharp price increases,…
The International Energy Agency said Europe could “cope” with a supply shortage brought on by a drop in imports of crude from Iran, but that prices might temporarily reach near the $147 a barrel…
Chinese sales have been a backbone of General Motors’ (NYSE: GM) and Volkswagen’s earnings for several years. These firms have ridden their shares of the world’s largest car and light truck market to strong profit margins. All…
Greece apparently has its 130 billion euro bailout, which should probably carry it through 2014. At least that is the intention. Private creditors have agreed to a 53.5% reduction in the value of their paper.…
Greece got its 130 billion euro bailout. Most media outlets and economists made the same observation about the deal. Greece’s economy continues to contract at a rate of about 6%. Unemployment is above 20%. Greece…
Europe reaches a deal to bail out Greece, but not all details are set. (Reuters) Japan and the U.S. agree on how much Japan will take in cuts to its import of Iranian oil. (Reuters)…
Home Depot (NYSE: HD) reported robust sales for its fiscal fourth quarter which ended January 29. Same-store sales in the US were up 6.1% As the housing market has faltered and the recession has…
Iran says it will no longer ship oil to the UK and France, due to sanctions the US and EU have put onto trade because of concerns about nuclear weapons programs Now, Iran must…
UPS has made a bid for European shipping company TNT. The $6.43 billion bid was turned down. What happens next? TNT may decide it can operate successfully as a standalone company and reject all…
Japan is a huge net importer of oil. It needs to do business with Iran, even though the nation is under sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program. The US wants to put maximum…
Apple will offer its iPhone through China Telecom, one of the largest carriers in the People’s Republic. It already has a relationship with China Unicom, but not one with the largest carrier–China Mobile. Apple has…
Brent crude moved above $121 a barrel as trouble with Iran exports became more acute. Iran says it will stop shipments to the UK and France because of sanctions place on it due to…
European finance ministers finally reached a bailout of Greece, although it was overshadowed by reports that the IMF has estimates that the southern European nation almost certainly cannot make its debt to GDP goals…
Two bad things happened regarding Japan at almost the same time. It announced its largest monthly trade deficit ever, at $18.7 billion. And, S&P affirmed its long term AA- rating, but with a negative outlook. The two were not related, but…
Close to the beginning of 443 pages of analysis by the Council of Economic Advisors called the “Economic Report from The President” was this observation: This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class, and for all those…
Italy finally made an admission that its economy will be in recession this year. It is yet one more economy in the region which will struggle to add jobs and increase its tax base; one…
Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN) accused large business partner Kazuo Okada of fraud and bought out his position (Reuters) Ministers in the EU will make a final determination on Greece today (Reuters) Japan’s huge trade deficit is…