Nokia: More Phones, Fewer Workers
NokiaNokia (NYSE: NOK) launched two new smartphones based on the aged Symbian operating system. Symbian has been rejected by the developer market to the extent that Nokia will phase out its use when its…
All Work
Douglas A. McIntyre
The Ten Crops That Make America The World’s Breadbasket
America’s position as “Breadbasket of the World” is being eroded by the growing strength of rivals such as Canada, Australia, the former Soviet Union and China. As yields continue to rise along with commodity…
Portugal’s Political Parties–A Block To Aid?
The head of the opposition in Portugal, Pedro Passos Coelho, wants a seat at the table when his country negotiates with the EU and IMF about a bailout which could total $114 billion. The current lame…
Short Sellers Flee Tech
Short sellers who have bet against tech shares hit the exits during the period which ended on March 31. The short interest in the world’s largest chip company, Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), dropped 3% to 56.7…
Media Digest (4/12/2011) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg
Japan raised the severity of its nuclear crisis to the same level as Chernobyl. (Reuters) Alcoa (NYSE: AA) beat earnings but missed sales.(Reuters) Nasdaq OMX (NASDAQ NDAQ) and Deutsche Boerse have approached NYSE Euronext’s (NYSE: NYX) largest shareholders in…
Commodities Watch: China Fights Commodity Inflation; Silver, Iron Ore, Rise, as Gold, Oil, Copper Fall; Corn, Cocoa Move Higher (CORN, MOO, MON, GLD, SLV, JJC)
As we begin the week, prices for many commodities are rising, while only gold and oil are falling. Corn prices continue to climb and cocoa futures are up again as well. First, there have…
The IMF’s Optimisitic Economic View Is Hardly Cause To Celebrate
The International Monetary Fund today joined the ever-increasing numbers of experts that argue that the worldwide economy is on the road to recovery. Unfortunately, that’s like saying someone in a hospital is better because…
Daily Austerity Watch: The Pointless Debate Over The Debt Ceiling
Here at The Daily Austerity Watch, we greeted the budget deal with a mixture of relief and dread. While we are delighted that pointless government shutdown was averted thanks to an unprecedented $38.5 trillion…
Today’s Best Market Rumors (4/11/2011) Couric Gone, IMF Downgrades Japan
Updated throughout the day. Obama will present his new deficit goals (WSJ) Katie Couric may leave CBS (NYSE: CBS) and create morning TV show with Matt Lauer (NYT) A group of bidders has emerged…
The Ten Industries That Pay Women The Least
Women continue to struggle for equal rights in the workplace. For at least two decades, they have earned 80% of the wages of men doing equivalent jobs. That should be a shock to most…
Walmart Gets Cheap
Walmart (NYSE: WMT) is known for “every day low prices.” It is probably the primary reason people shop there and it has made the company the world’s largest retailer. Wal-Mart, for some reason, thinks it…
Americans Turn Against The Pillars Of Power
Americans believe that lobbyists, large companies, banks, and the government have too much power. They have reason for their opinions. Banks nearly took down the credit system. Now, they refuse to lend to individuals and small…
In Iceland’s Rejection Of Debt, A Sovereign Paper Warning
Iceland’s government created a plan to repay 3 billion euros due to the UK and the Netherlands because of the collapse of its banking system three years ago. Iceland’s citizens voted the repayment plan…
China And Corn Imports: The Growing Inflation Threat
China posted its first trade deficit in seven years in the first quarter of 2011. The figure was a very modest $1 billion, which many economists saw as a sign of the growing economic…
Media Digest (4/11/2011) Reuters, WSJ, NYT, FT, Bloomberg
NYSE Euronext (NYSE: NYX) rejected a Nasdaq offer to buy it, which Nasdaq labeled as the best future for the older exchange. (Reuters) Corporate earnings may not be strong enough to support current stock values (Reuters)…
Week’s Biggest Market Losers (FSLR)(MON)(HOG)
First Solar (NASDAQ: FLSR) fell 7% on concerns that the US government’s financial support of renewable energy will falter. The federal government’s move toward austerity makes it likely that this threat to earnings and sales will…
The Week’s Major Market Winners (NSM)(ANF)(RSH)
Stocks which rose last week were paced by National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) which jumped 68% to $27 after it agreed to be purchased by Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN). The fate of the transaction between two weak companies depends on…
Daily Austerity Watch: David Stockman’s Comeback
Here at Daily Austerity Watch, we have followed the resurrection of David Stockman with some interest. It has been nothing short of amazing. Stockman was a pariah to conservatives after President Ronald Reagan took…
Top Active Trader Alert Stocks (EXPE, HERO, STX)
Active traders and day traders have many stocks to choose from this Friday morning. We are tracking news and moves in shares of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE), Hercules Offshore, Inc. (NASDAQ: HERO), and Seagate Technology PLC (NASDAQ:…
Toyota Restarts It Engine
Toyota (NYSE TM) will restart most of its Japanese plants on April 18. They may not operate at full capacity and may close for an upcoming national holiday. The news is a testament to…