Campbell Soup Co. (NYSE: CPB) may be stealing a page from the global M&A playbook. The Sunday Times reported that Campbell is considering making a 1.5 billion pound, roughly $2.3 billion today, for a…
First Niagara Financial Group Inc. (NASDAQ: FNFG) is on its way to becoming a super-regional bank rather than just a regional bank. That is after its announced $1.5 billion acquisition this morning of NewAlliance…
If no one wants to borrow money even as long-term interest rates are low and going lower, then it’s hard to see how a bank is going to make money. That, at least, is…
American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) is continuing to see better credit trends among its card holders. The borrowers who were at least a month behind fell to 2.6% in July from 2.7% in June. …
BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) shares are lower on WSJ reports that Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC) may look to unload its 34% (approximate) stake in the money management giant. With a $28.6 billion…
The Bank of Ireland (NYSE: IRE) and Allied Irish Banks plc (NYSE: AIB) are back out of favor. After huge gains off their recent lows, the Irish banks are lower again this morning following…
The US, EU, UK, and Japan were supposed to emerge from a great recession this year. The experience of past recessions would indicate that GDP should pick up to 3% or 4% and remain…
At a Town Hall meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska, Kansas City Fed president Thomas Hoenig is out with a speech called HARD CHOICES. Hoenig is calling again for the end of the zero-rate policy by…
Ambac Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: ABK) is likely soon to be the latest of the financial implosion stocks unless some magical event occurs outside of the company. After the financial guaranty company’s earnings report…
The Blackstone Group, L.P. (NYSE: BX) has agreed to purchase electricity generator Dynegy Inc. (NYSE: DYN). Blackstone will pay $4.50/share in cash, for a total of about $543 million, and assume Dynegy’s existing debt.…
Green Dot Corporation (NYSE: GDOT) just reported its first earnings report as a public company. The prepaid financial services company reported a 48% jump up in Non-GAAP operating revenues to $92.8 million, followed by…
courtesy Barnes & Noble Inc.Failing bookstore company Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS), maker of the also-ran e-reader, the Nook, has settled with raider Ron Burkle, who bought enough shares in the company so that…
American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) is still one of the most hated companies, but not so by private equity buyers looking to see what meat can picked off of a carcass. AIG and…
The ratings agencies may have missed all the blow-ups in mortgage ratings and financial ratings ahead of The Great Recession. But the upgrades for corporate debt ratings are still on the rise even as…
Ben Bernanke and friends at the FOMC decided today to keep Fed Funds unchanged at 0.00% to 0.25% and decided against major quantitative easing measures. We already knew that was coming on the rate…