Business Less of a Threat to U.S. Than Big Government
People who were asked which is more of a threat to the U.S. — big business or big government — picked big government by a more than two-to-one margin. Consider it a sign that Americans…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
What’s Important in the Financial World (12/13/2011) Global Employment, Jive IPO
nationsonline.orgGlobal stock markets have not bought into the notion that the eurozone crisis has been effectively solved by leaders there. Stock markets, for the most part, have dropped around the world on expanded concerns that…
Job Market to Worsen Worldwide in First Quarter
Unemployment, which has plagued all developed economies, may get little help from employers early next year. This problem will cascade into GDP growth. It presents one more hurdle to a global economic recovery, one which…
Media Digest (12/13/2011) Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, Bloomberg
Congress, close to a budget agreement, may avoid a government shutdown. (Reuters) Washington Mutual shareholders and creditors set a deal that could allow an exit from bankruptcy. (Reuters) The policy meeting of the Federal…
Deutsche Boerse And NYSE Euronext To Divest More
Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) continue to fight blocks put in the way of their merger by EU authorities. The regulators want more of the asset of the two to be sold so that…
German ZEW Economic Sentiment Indicator Up
The EU economy is not much without Germany , the largest nation in the region by GDP. Growth has slowed there based on PMI and other critical measure of financial activity. The concern that Germany will go…
Jive Software Posts IPO Above Anticipated Range
Jive Software, which makes social network software, raised $161.3 million, It priced 30% above its expected range. The Palo Alto, California-based company sold 13.4 million shares at $12 apiece, according to data compiled by…
Washington Mutual May Exit Bankruptcy
Washington Mutual may have reached a deal to exit bankruptcy. A fight between creditors and shareholders has held the process up. Shareholders will drop claims against settlement noteholders. “The Equity Committee and its advisors…
Asia Stocks Hit By EU Sovereign Concerns, Europe Recovers
Stocks across Asia were hit by concerns that Europe has still not found a solution to the sovereign debt problems that vex Spain and Italy. Europe stocks rebounds modestly. Stock in the US fell…
MF Global Officials To Say They Do Not Know Where Firm’s Money Is
Parroting what former MF Global CEO John Corzine said in his testimony before Congress, MF Global Chief Operating Officer Bradley Abelow and Chief Financial Officer Henri Steenkamp will each say they do not know what happened to…
AT&T (T) May Change T-Mobile Deal
AT&T, stuck with resistance from the government and a court ruling which as further delay a deal to buy T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom, may revise terms in an effort to close a deal “We…
Fitch Downgrades The Entire World
Research firm Fitch downgraded its forecasts for the growth rate of almost every region in the world. It is yet another warning that the slowdown in the EU economy has begun to spread rapidly…
The Busiest Shopping Day in History
FedEx (NYSE: FDX) expects December 12 to be the busiest day in its history, as far as shipments through its system are concerned. That is one more sign that the consumer has attained a level…
As More Despair Sets In, Workers Would Take Benefit Reductions
The job market remains tight enough, and people remain concerned enough about their current employment, that many would accept cuts in vacation time and benefits. The news stands as another indication that the jobs…
BIS: Growth Forecasts Continue to Drop, Even in Asia
The Bank for International Settlements adds it voice to others at multinational agencies predicting the global economy has slowed. The BIS blames much on the trouble in Europe. The concerning part of this new…
What’s Important in the Financial World (12/12/2011) Berkshire’s New Chairman, Unemployment Benefits for 2012
It may be that holiday spending actually is accelerating into mid-December. Some economists argued that the surge of Black Friday activity would burn out consumer activity. The contrary is true, based on recent data.…
Jobs Where People Work the Most for the Least
The average person in the U.S. works just over 2,000 hours per year, or 39.5 per week, and is paid $37,128 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some occupations, however, require…
Moody’s May Still Downgrade Europe Sovereigns
In a document issued today entitled “Moody’s: Euro Area Sovereigns Remain Under Pressure In Absence of Decisive Initiatives” the big ratings agency said In view of the continued absence of decisive policy measures despite…
Total Apps Reach 1 Million–NYT
The New York Times reports that the total number of downloadable apps has reached 1 million. Most of these are built for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) products which include the iPhone and iPad. The next…
Amazon (AMZN) Kindle Fire May Have Flaws
The Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Kindle Fire, flagship of the e-commerce sites holiday products may have design flaws. Some of the products have been returned to Amazon. One of the issues has to do with…