The Consumer Confidence Boom
German consumer confidence reached a 10-month high this month. Now a new WSJ/NBC poll shows that U.S. consumers are more sanguine than they have been in a year. The signs of a rebound in…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
What’s Important in the Financial World (1/26/2012) Amazon to Attack Netflix, IMF on Oil Prices
Iran may take the matter of oil exports into its own hands. It has signaled that it will stop shipping crude before sanctions by the European Union and U.S. are in place. The stakes…
Media Digest (1/26/2012) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg
Ben Bernanke says the Fed is prepared to buy more bonds. (Reuters) NEC to cut 10,000 workers. (Reuters) Nintendo posts poor earnings and cuts forecasts. (Reuters) Warren Buffett says higher taxes on the rich…
As Global Tablet Sales Surge, Android Chases Apple
The Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad is supposed to be the best selling tablet PC in the world by far. But, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android based tablets are gaining share. In many nations, Android use has already…
IMF Say Iran Problem Could Move Oil Up 30%
The IMF has issued a warning that sanctions against Iran which would cut oil exports could raise the global price of crude by 20% to 30%. That would put WTI oil prices to $125.…
German Consumer Confidence Rises
http://connect.facebook.net/rsrc.php/v1/y4/r/EjGRk6xMiVD.swf http://www.facebook.com/dialog/oauth?api_key=41245586762&app_id=41245586762&channel_url=https%3A%2F%2Fs-static.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fconnect%2Fxd_proxy.php%3Fversion%3D3%23cb%3Df321ca33b58fd3c%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F247wallst.wordpress.com%252Ff393c7861b4e958%26relation%3Dparent.parent%26transport%3Dpostmessage&client_id=41245586762&display=none&domain=247wallst.wordpress.com&locale=en_US&origin=1&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fs-static.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fconnect%2Fxd_proxy.php%3Fversion%3D3%23cb%3Df38eb012b93c818%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F247wallst.wordpress.com%252Ff393c7861b4e958%26relation%3Dparent%26transport%3Dpostmessage%26frame%3Df1bc430ee591015&response_type=token%2Csigned_request%2Ccode&sdk=joey Moving higher in lock step with the US, German consumer confidence was up as people look to February to a 10 month high. Research firm GfK said its forward-looking confidence indicator was…
Tokyo Electric May Get $13 Billion Bailout
Its finances nearly ruined by the March earthquake in Japan and bad management after the disaster may force the Japanese government to bail out the country’s largest utility Voice of America reports News reports…
Nintendo Earnings Collapse
Nintendo earnings collapsed and so did its forecast. The firm said it would launch a new version of the Wii by year end in the hope that it can reverse its fortunes. That may not…
Today’s Best Market Rumors (1/25/2012) Sony And Olympus, Goldman Headquarters
Updated throughout the day at The Wire Sony (NYSE: SNE) may make a $1.3 billion investment in troubled Olympus (Reuters) Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) is about to sell its London headquarters for $468 million…
Apple Earnings and the Value of Old Tech
Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) extraordinary earnings and the size of its iPhone sales helped move its market cap well above $400 billion. The press constantly reminds readers that this is greater than any other pubic…
Yahoo! and the Temptation to Merge with a Major Media Firm
Yahoo!’s (NASDAQ: YHOO) earnings were weak, which raised the matter of a business combination with Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) or Aol (NYSE: AOL) again. A more suitable merger would be with a major media company…
Airbus A380 Wing Cracks and the Limits of Engineering
Cracks in the wings of the new Airbus A380 super jumbo have been found several times. The aviation firm’s own engineers found some. Others have apparently been discovered by airlines. Sixty-eight of the planes are in…
What’s Important in the Financial World (1/25/2012) iPhone 5, Germany Confidence
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) investors had to pinch themselves yesterday. Revenue at the company soared to $46.3 billion. Almost certainly it is the world’s largest tech firm now, as it moves ahead of Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ).…
Media Digest (1/25/2011) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has another blow-out quarter driven by iPhone sales. (Reuters) Japan has its first trade deficit since 1980. (Reuters) Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) posts weak earnings on a revenue drop. (Reuters) International Monetary…
Germany Ifo Shows Business Confidence Rise
The Ifo index, based on a poll of 7,000 businesses, showed economic confidence rose to a five month high. The news comes on the heels of a Markit announcement that Germany’s PMI improved in January The AP…
ECB May Help Greek Restructure
Almost every institution with a stake in Greece’s financial future has been asked to make some sacrifice to keep the nation afloat Add to the list the ECB, which may have to take a…
Quiznos Sets Debt Restructure
The small chain restaurant business become more difficult every day. Bennigans is trying to rebuild a business which went into Chapter 11. A&W group was sold by Yum! Brands because it is no longer growing.…
Sony May Buy Into Olympus
Add to the many rumors about an investment in troubled Olympus a possible move by Sony (NYSE: SNE). Sony has been on a short list which includes Fujifilm and Samsung. Olympus has been crippled…
Steakhouse Chain Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group IPO
Steakhouse chain Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group has filed for an IPO worth $100 million. According to MarketWatch Private-equity’s Lone Star Funds split Del Frisco’s into a separate company after it acquired the restaurant chain,…
Will British Air Buy AMR (American Air)
Add to the private equity firms and airlines that may want to own all or a piece of bankrupt airlines AMR, the name of British Air. It could become partners with PE firm TPG Capital…