ThinkstockJust yesterday we saw a report from Fitch Ratings showing that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) likely would be rated in the single-A corporate credit ratings. The report seemed very harsh, considering Apple’s dominance and…
courtesy of IBMInternational Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) finally has delivered what we have waited for, although we still think more needs to be done here. Big Blue has just announced that its board…
ThinkstockEconomic readings are generally coming in weaker than expected, and you have to wonder how well the unemployment and payrolls report can come in this Friday. We have just seen a weaker-than-expected Chicago Purchasing…
ThinkstockThe Chicago Purchasing Managers Index for the month of April came out as recessionary, or in contraction. This is yet another regional economic report confirming that weakness is ruling the roost. Overall the index fell…
ThinkstockOver the course of this year we have written at great length on master limited partnerships (MLPs) and the potential for investors to receive solid total returns from these stocks. Year to date, the…
ThinkstockThe U.S. Employment Cost Index in the first quarter of 2013 is looking very tame, and the so-called wage inflation is running very low. The Labor Department showed that the first-quarter benefits and pay…
courtesy of Apple Inc.Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) filed an automatic shelf registration yesterday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Now we have the maturity dates and what types of notes and bonds the company…
These are the top analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations from select Wall Street research calls on Tuesday, April 30, 2013. They include Best Buy, Buffalo Wild Wings and PulteGroup.
ThinkstockDespite a market that has become negative on many commodity subsectors and a U.S. dollar that has appreciated and stunted energy pricing temporarily, some energy stocks are looking extremely attractive. Investors looking to add energy…
courtesy of Apple Inc.Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is not at all a company you would expect to raise capital via a stock or bond sale. The company’s share buybacks and dividends are not exactly…
ThinkstockThe latest recovery in the price of gold is not helping gold miners as much as some investors might think. In fact. Moody’s Investors Service just issued a corporate credit rating downgrade on Barrick…
This week should mark the climax of first quarter corporate earnings season. It will be a full week for the earnings calendar, along with key economic events and some corporate annual meetings to boot. 24/7…
Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (OTCMarkets: ABKFQ) is about to do what many investors would have considered to be impossible. The public finance guarantor is set to exit bankruptcy. While new shares are going to…
ThinkstockItaly is one of the PIIGS, and therefore one of the big troubled spots for investors to keep their eyes on. The good news is that if the hangman is still lurking, it seems…
ThinkstockThe Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas is out with its report on manufacturing activity for the month of April. We have seen continued regional weakness for reports covering March and April, and the report…
courtesy of Apple Inc.Fitch Ratings is out with commentary on Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) over its corporate credit ratings. The ratings agency said that it has not released a public rating on Apple, but…
Courtesy Herbalife Ltd.Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) is a true battleground stock, and the short seller versus activist investor war is about to heat up all over again. This will be a key focus for…
While the current stock market rally has been impressive since the lows last November, many investors, analysts and equity strategists are casting a wary eye at the looming May 1 date. In a new…
ThinkstockPersonal income and consumer spending managed to post very moderate growth in the month of March. The Commerce Department projected that personal income rose by 0.2% and spending also rose by 0.2%. Bloomberg was…
Jon OggInvestors frequently get to see the analyst upgrades and Buy ratings from Wall St. firms. They often do not get to see when analyst downgrade stocks to sell or to avoid. We review…