News Corporation is in talks with Yahoo! over plans to merge their online
assets in a move to fend off Microsoft’s $45 billion ($£23 billion) hostile
takeover offer for the online search engine.
Source:
Latest Business News from Times Online | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:50 pm
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Diversified manufacturer Ingersoll-Rand Co. Ltd. reported a sharply higher quarterly profit on Thursday that reflected a large gain on the sale of its Bobcat machinery division.
Source:
Reuters: Business News | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:47 pm
Read full story for latest details.
Source:
Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:46 pm
U.S. stock futures leaned higher on Thursday ahead of testimony from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, with markets awaiting for the Fed chief’s assessment of the economy and whether a surprising rise in retail sales was an aberration or a signal of data to come.
Source:
MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:44 pm
Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Thursday's session are Agilent, Arbitron, Avis Budget, Bally Technologies, Bear Stearns, Comcast, Ingram Micro, Nvidia, and Yahoo..
Source:
MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:41 pm
Economic growth slowed sharply across Germany, France and much of the rest of the euro zone in the final three months of 2007, with gross domestic product expanding at half the rate seen in the previous three months of the year.
Source:
MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:37 pm
Source:
Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:36 pm
Stocks in Europe advanced on Thursday, supported by a string of mostly well-received results from leading French companies including Capgemini, Havas and Groupe Danone.
Source:
MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:36 pm
Reuters - The banking industry is proposing to
members of the U.S. Congress and the White House that some of
the risk of troubled mortgages should be shifted to the federal
government, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on
Thursday.
Source:
Yahoo! News: Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:31 pm
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The banking industry is proposing to members of the U.S. Congress and the White House that some of the risk of troubled mortgages should be shifted to the federal government, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
Source:
Reuters: Business News | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:31 pm
A roundup of the latest corporate earnings reports and what companies are saying about future quarters.
Source:
MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:31 pm
A strong performance from Mercedes-Benz helps Daimler to report a net profit of 4bn euros for 2007.
Source:
BBC News | Business | World Edition | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:29 pm
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures were little changed on Thursday, pausing after a three-day rally, with traders wary of placing bets before Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony on the outlook for the economy.
Source:
Reuters: Business News | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:29 pm
In a letter to Yahoo shareholders, CEO Jerry Yang tries to make the case for keeping the company out of Microsoft's grasp, Michal Lev-Ram reports.
Source:
Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:24 pm
U.S. stock futures pointed to a flat start Thursday as investors waited for Senate testimony from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
Source:
Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:20 pm
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Stronger-than-expected Japanese economic data enhanced traders' appetite for risk, putting pressure Thursday on Japan's yen and the U.S. dollar, analysts said.
Source:
MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:19 pm
Air France-KLM flew a record 57.7 million passengers in the first nine months
of the year showing few signs of the economic gloom that has hit demand for
flights at rival carriers.
Source:
Latest Business News from Times Online | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:17 pm
With the U.S. economy apparently getting ready to take one of its cyclical snoozes, employers are more hesitant to take on new hires than they were even just three or four months ago - and the recent uptick in unemployment means more competition for each opening. That doesn't mean you need to give up on the idea of looking for a new job. In fact, if your company is going through a merger or seems likely to announce layoffs, your best bet may be to start your job search right away.
Source:
Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:16 pm
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Comcast Corp said on Thursday that it would pay an annual dividend and set a 2009 target to complete a stock buyback program, two actions aimed at addressing investor demands to boost its share price.
Source:
Reuters: Business News | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:16 pm
Source:
Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:13 pm
The hard-charging homebuilding stocks are making believers of some investors.
Source:
Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:11 pm
Reuters - Japanese Internet firm Softbank Corp,
under pressure from both sides in Microsoft Corp's bid for
Yahoo Inc, may hold out for more leverage but is unlikely to
derail the bid.
Source:
Yahoo! News: Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:11 pm
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Internet firm Softbank Corp, under pressure from both sides in Microsoft Corp's bid for Yahoo Inc, may hold out for more leverage but is unlikely to derail the bid.
Source:
Reuters: Business News | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:11 pm
Reuters - Comcast Corp said on
Thursday that it would pay an annual dividend and set a 2009
target to complete a stock buyback program, two actions aimed
at addressing investor demands to boost its share price.
Source:
Yahoo! News: Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:10 pm
The German government agrees to a 1.5bn euros rescue package for struggling bank IKB.
Source:
BBC News | Business | World Edition | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:09 pm
Reuters - Swiss bank UBS has revealed $26.6
billion in exposure to risky U.S. mortgages distinct from
subprime loans, increasing its vulnerability to the global
credit crisis and sending its shares sharply lower.
Source:
Yahoo! News: Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:09 pm
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss bank UBS has revealed $26.6 billion in exposure to risky U.S. mortgages distinct from subprime loans, increasing its vulnerability to the global credit crisis and sending its shares sharply lower.
Source:
Reuters: Business News | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:08 pm
Today is Valentine's Day, but it is also the 61st birthday of
Stephen Schwarzman, co-founder of the
Blackstone Group, one of the biggest and most successful private equity firms in the world.
Why is that worth noting?
A year and a day ago, hundreds of the best and brightest in finance, politics, and the arts gathered on a cold, wet
night inside the Seventh Regiment Armory on Park Avenue in Manhattan to celebrate. Guests ate lobster and baked Alaska, Rod Stewart entertained, and Patti LaBelle sang "Happy Birthday."
It was that $3 million birthday party—given by himself—that soon became a symbol of private equity's new power and its self-indulgence. Schwarzman soon became, as James Stewart in a
profile in the
New Yorker put it, "the designated villain of an era on Wall Street."
Much has changed since that night. Washington lawmakers called for changes in the way that private equity is taxed, although nothing has come of that. Deals got bigger—and then they seemed to evaporate completely amid a credit crunch that dried up financing. By year-end, some deals had collapsed. In June, Blackstone went public at $31 a share to much hooplah. Today, its stock price is down 43 percent.
So perhaps it is not surprising that, according to the
New York Post, "Schwarzman plans to celebrate his 61st birthday with a low-key evening at home with his family and a few friends."
Haven't sent a card with your birthday greetings yet? Send
one from Portfolio.com.
Related Links
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Source:
Portfolio.com: Top 5 | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:00 pm
"As I sit down to write this note (6:30 Sunday morning)," begins a recent missive to employees from
Howard Schultz,
Starbucks' newly reinstated chief executive. "I am enjoying a spectacular cup of sumatra, brewed my favorite way—in a French press."
The president of Dunkin' Donuts, Will Kussell, is, in contrast, an original blend kind of guy. His morning standard is Dunkin Donuts' classic brew, with milk. And at 8:30 A.M. on a rainy Wednesday, he's standing cup in hand in a small midtown Manhattan Dunkin' Donuts, blending in with the steady flow of commuters stopping by for the their morning fix.
"We are mainstream America," says Kussell, leaning forward in a molded plastic chair. "Mainstream is an attitude. It's people who are unpretentious, down to earth, they have a work ethic, and they want to get things done."
Kussell and Schultz are the two faces of a battle that is being wage for the $50 billion coffee market.
The competition—between Dunkin' and Starbucks, as well as with chains like McDonalad's—is heating up just as the economy is slowing down. And that could very well tilt the advantage to Dunkin' Donuts.
Michael J. Silverstein, senior partner with the Boston Consulting Group and author of
Treasure Hunt and
Trading Up, divides the coffee market in three segments: Starbucks loyalists, fuel users, and switchers: people who make coffee buying decisions based on their current financial situation.
"The whole battle is over switchers, who buy Starbucks when they feel they have money and just seek fuel when money is tight," Silverstein says.
According to a survey run last month by market research group BIGresearch, a whopping 50 percent of consumers report that they have found themselves focusing more in the last 6 months on what they "need" rather than what they "want."
Dunkin' Donuts' no-frills approach plays well to that sense of need. "No-nonsense" is a recurring theme in how Kussell describes "Dunkin' Tribe Members," the company's moniker for its core consumer base.
"Really it's an attitude. Hard working people, busy people with busy lives," Kussell continues. "We're about people who get things done."
Harry Balzer, vice president of the NPD Group and national expert on food trends, sees such "fuel seeking" behavior as becoming more and more prominent as people increasingly value speed and convenience when making food decisions.
"There is a structural change in how we're feeding ourselves at breakfast—we're pressed for time," Balzer says.
Dunkin has become a more aggressive national competitor, introducing espresso beverages in 2003. Since then, it has been fueled by a $2.4 billion buyout of Dunkin Brands in 2006 by a consortium of Bain Capital, Thomas H. Lee Partners, and Carlyle.
The franchiser as been expanding beyond its longtime core in Northeast and now has more than 5,700 stores in the United States, with plans for three times that figure by 2020. Dunkin is taking advantage of its cash infusion from its new owners not only to expand the number of stores, but to push franchisees to refurbish existing locations, and continue to innovate the menu. On Wednesday, it introduced a line of new oven-warmed snacks aimed at increasing afternoon traffic.
In 2007, Dunkin's revenue was $5.27 billion, and the chain had become the No. 1 U.S. seller of regular coffee, iced coffee, donuts, bagels, and muffins, and the number two in breakfast sandwiches.
As breakfast food becomes a factor in driving traffic, McDonald's has become another major player by relaunching a premium brewed coffee offering. The quick service giant will launch espresso beverages starting this spring, complete with in-store coffee bar and drive-thru ordering capability.
Surprisingly, while consumers pledge that they are interested in cutting costs, neither Silverstein nor Balzer believe that pricing on coffee drinks is anywhere near as big a factor as speed and convenience.
McDonald's espresso-based offerings are priced from $1.99 to $3.29. Pricing for Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts varies by region and franchise, but Kussell says Dunkin is "about 10 to 20 percent cheaper" than its competitor - which in Manhattan falls in the $3 to $4 range for lattes of varying sizes.
If tomorrow's America will be a nation of fuel-seekers, where does that leave Starbucks?
With its stock price having been cut almost in half from this time last year, Schulz has pledged a major turnaround for the brand.
Judging by Schulz's first weeks back in office, Starbucks will choose to focus on retaining "Starbucks loyalists" rather than catering to the masses with a speed-oriented approach.
Where Dunkin' and McDonald's are looking to increase convenience, Starbucks has slowed new store growth and is emphasizing their historical success with the trademark "Starbucks experience." That means investing in improving employee training, maintaining their stores' premium feel, and offering free WiFi to customers. Where others are pushing hard on hot breakfast, Starbucks is discontinuing heated foods because they "interfere with the coffee aroma." Given Schulz's gripes last year about Starbucks' shift to automatic espresso machines, a return to those theatrical manual machines might make a reappearance.
As for who will be emerge victorious in the battle for the coffee dollar, Silverstein thinks it's too early to project a winner.
"A win or loss in same store sales is driven by 1 percent of consumers," Silverstein says. "But right now, I think that 1 percent is up for grabs."
Related Links
The Not-So-Affluent Society Innovations in CoffeeCoffee Fuels McDonald's
Source:
Portfolio.com: Top 5 | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:00 pm
Capgemini, the French IT services group, has held early-stage talks with
Reliance Communications, of India, that could result in the first
acquisition of a significant Western IT house by one of India's fast-growing
competitors.
Source:
Latest Business News from Times Online | 14 Feb 2008 | 11:53 am
AP - China will spend more than $1.25 billion to rebuild wrecked houses, restore farms and help the poor pay for food and heat in areas where snowstorms killed at least 107 people, the government said Thursday.
Source:
Yahoo! News: Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 11:51 am
Poor countries will pay 35% more for cereals this year, causing "major global concern", the UN says.
Source:
BBC News | Business | World Edition | 14 Feb 2008 | 11:43 am
Successful marketing campaigns helped drinks giant Diageo to report a small rise in profits for the last six months of 2007.
Source:
BBC News | Business | World Edition | 14 Feb 2008 | 11:42 am
More troubled mortgage borrowers than ever are now being granted loan relief - but many will still wind up losing their homes.
Source:
Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 14 Feb 2008 | 11:38 am
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is in talks with Yahoo about a possible deal, according to a press report.
Source:
BBC News | Business | World Edition | 14 Feb 2008 | 11:33 am
Bear Stearns and Citic Securities, China's largest securities firm, are renegotiating the share swap agreement they reached last year to reflect a subsequent fall in their stock prices
Source:
FT.com - US homepage | 14 Feb 2008 | 11:32 am
Really bad stock markets knock down shares of all kinds. That's essentially what has been happening since the start of 2008, as subprime fallout led to recession anxiety. But not every market sector faces the same problems and uncertainties.
Source:
Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 14 Feb 2008 | 11:25 am
Smaller biotechnology companies are ready to take the lead away from big pharma in developing antibiotics that can take on a new generation of deadly "superbugs."
Source:
Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 14 Feb 2008 | 11:01 am
Thomas Cook has snapped up hotel bookings website hotels4U.com for £21.8m, in a bid the up its game within the ever-competitive online travel market
Source:
Telegraph Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 10:45 am
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Stock index futures rose on Thursday, indicating the rally on Wall Street may continue for a fourth consecutive day as investors focused on fresh jobs data and kept a...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 10:44 am
Stylo, the footwear retailer, announced today that it had agreed with the
administrators of Dolcis to purchase the stricken shoe chain’s trading stock
and brand name.
Source:
Latest Business News from Times Online | 14 Feb 2008 | 10:38 am
India has already built the world's cheapest car — the £1,200 Tata Nano — now
the country has delivered the telecoms equivalent: the £10 "people's
phone".
Source:
Latest Business News from Times Online | 14 Feb 2008 | 10:29 am
Commerzbank reports a record profit in 2007 despite 774m euros of writedowns linked to the sub-prime mortgage crisis.
Source:
BBC News | Business | World Edition | 14 Feb 2008 | 10:20 am
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Internet firm Softbank Corp , under pressure from both sides in Microsoft Corp's bid for Yahoo Inc , may hold out for more leverage but is unlikely to derail the
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 10:19 am
LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Daimler AG and Renault SA on Thursday reported improving operating margins as Europe's leading automakers continue on the recovery path in a tough sales environment.
Source:
MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 14 Feb 2008 | 10:19 am
Klaus Zumwinkel, chief executive of Deutsche Post and one of Germany's highest-profile businessmen, is being investigated by prosecutors and his offices have been searched, the company confirmed on Thursday....
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 10:01 am
Japanese stocks rallied Thursday to lead Asian markets higher, with machinery maker such as Komatsu and exporters such as Canon Inc. pacing gains on the country's surprisingly robust economic growth and a continued advance on Wall Street.
Source:
MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:58 am
Shares in alcoholic drinks maker Diageo put in solid gains on Thursday morning in London, as investors welcomed improving margins on the back of stronger Scotch whisky sales.
Source:
MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:53 am
A results-laden Europe rose on Thursday as financial services groups Zurich and Swedbank both beat market expectations with their latest earnings. The FTSE Eurofirst 300 rose 0.7 per cent to 1,343.09,...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:48 am
LONDON (Reuters) - Oil climbed towards $94 a barrel on Thursday, supported by a smaller-than-expected rise in U.S. crude stocks as imports slowed and refiners revved up.
Source:
Reuters: Business News | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:47 am
LONDON (Reuters) - Oil climbed towards $94 a barrel on Thursday, supported by a smaller-than-expected rise in U.S. crude stocks as imports slowed and refiners revved up.
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:47 am
Swiss banking giant UBS said on Thursday it had suffered a net loss of 4.4 billion Swiss francs (4.0 billion dollars, 2.7 billion euros) in 2007 after losing billions in the US mortgage...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:44 am
LSwiss banking giant UBS on Thursday said it still has significant exposure to the troubled U.S. mortgage market, raising fears of further write-downs, as it confirmed a $13.7 billion charge had sent its bottom line plunging into the red.
Source:
MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:43 am
The German luxury car maker Daimler posted on Thursday a 2007 net profit of 4.0 billion euros (5.8 billion euros), up by 5.3 percent from the figure one year earlier. The...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:41 am
The German government is to lead a €1.5bn bail-out of IKB in a third attempt to save the small-business lender, after the finance minister said the potential fallout from its insolvency would be "incalculable"
Source:
FT.com - US homepage | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:22 am
Shares in IKB jumped on Thursday after the German government said it would lead a 1.5bn ($2.18bn) bail-out in a third attempt to save the small-business lender, as the finance minister said the potential...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:22 am
Overnight the Nikkei has advanced some 500 points after Japanese growth (far from edging towards recession as was feared) came in at double economists' estimates, at 3.7pc, annualised in the fourth quarter.
Source:
Telegraph Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:20 am
Thomas Cook has bolstered its independent travel operation by acquiring Hotels4U.com, the UK's largest independent bed bank which sells exclusively over the internet. The acquisition is the first since...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:11 am
The decision by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to drop its investigation into
possible corruption in BAE Systems’ arms dealing with Saudi Arabia is being
challenged in the High Court today.
Source:
Latest Business News from Times Online | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:10 am
Continued good demand for Diageo's premium spirits brands in North America and a return to growth in the UK from Guinness helped the drinks group on Thursday to report a 5.3 per cent increase in pre-tax...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 9:10 am
Diageo, the world’s largest alcoholic drinks maker, reported pre-tax profits
up 5.3 per cent for the first six months of the year as UK drinkers returned
to Guinness and Americans consumed more spirits.
Source:
Latest Business News from Times Online | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:57 am
Thomas Cook buys hotels website Hotels4U.com, as it says it cut losses in the Christmas run-up.
Source:
BBC News | Business | World Edition | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:55 am
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China faces its first defeat at the World Trade Organisation over a dispute on its import tariffs for car parts, but industry officials say the impact on domestic parts
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:49 am
Troubled German business lender IKB has estimated its latest losses at around 1.0 billion euros (1.45 billion dollars), which should be covered by an aid package from the government, the...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:48 am
The German government is to lead a 1.5bn ($2.18bn) bail-out of IKB in a third attempt to save the small-business lender, after the finance minister said the potential fallout from its insolvency would...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:48 am
Asian shares rose on Thursday with the Nikkei showing its biggest one-day rise since March 2002 as investors digested data from Japan showing faster than expected economic growth and a surprise increase...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:46 am
A strong overnight session on Wall Street launched London's equity market higher on Thursday, as Asian indices all made strong gains. In opening trade, the FTSE 100 was up 55.6 points, or 1 per cent,...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:37 am
UBS has reported the biggest ever fourth quarter loss by a bank after it made a $13.7bn (£7bn) write-down on positions related to the US sub-prime mortgage market.
Source:
Telegraph Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:30 am
The German economy slowed in the final three months of 2007 after price rises led shoppers to cut spending
Source:
BBC News | Business | World Edition | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:29 am
Swiss bank UBS confirms a $4bn loss for 2007, after it was hit by exposure to US sub-prime home loans.
Source:
BBC News | Business | World Edition | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:23 am
Madison Avenue is cashing in on New York Giants quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning. Gatorade is airing a new spot highlighting how Manning held up under pressure during his team's stunning upset...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:06 am
IF you still don't believe me that the US government has an organization called the Plunge Protection Team that intervenes in the stock market, consider this: * A former Federal Reserve official proposed...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:06 am
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The banking industry is proposing to members of the U.S. Congress and the White House that some of the risk of troubled mortgages should be shifted to the federal
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:02 am
With the writers strike ended and Hollywood finally returning to work, pressure is mounting on the Screen Actors Guild from prominent members, and indirectly from the studios, to begin early negotiations for a new contract to avert another costly walkout.
Source:
L.A. Times - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am
Only 9,983 houses and condominiums were sold in the six-county region last month, a data-tracking firm says.
Low interest rates, falling prices and promises of government relief were not enough to slow the pace of Southern California's housing downturn, which hit a new bottom last month.
Source:
L.A. Times - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am
Elected leaders in New York and Los Angeles initiate campaigns to curb and punish abuses.
With medical costs rising, record numbers of people losing their coverage and healthcare at the top of the domestic agenda, health insurers found themselves Wednesday in the cross-hairs of regulators, elected officials and law enforcement in California and across the nation.
Source:
L.A. Times - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am
How do Paula and Jim Sheftel run a business together and stay married? They play to their strengths.
Paula Armour was working at her frozen yogurt shop in 1987 when a man dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts walked in, ordered a blueberry smoothie and left.
Source:
L.A. Times - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am
Coca-Cola Co. on Wednesday reported a 79% jump in fourth-quarter profit and maintained its growth targets despite a slowing U.S. economy.
Source:
L.A. Times - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am
The Web firm is sizing up suitors but is hoping Microsoft will sweeten its offer, analysts say.
Could Rupert Murdoch be Yahoo Inc.'s white knight?
Source:
L.A. Times - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am
Ruben Guerra, head of the Latin Business Assn., wants to expand and add programs to boost the group's profile and effectiveness.
Ask for his business card and you're likely to get a handful from Ruben Guerra, chairman of the Latin Business Assn. in Los Angeles.
Source:
L.A. Times - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am
About 20 million Social Security recipients and other Americans who aren't required to file tax returns will need to do just that if they want to get rebate checks under the economic stimulus package signed into law Wednesday.
Source:
L.A. Times - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am
A Murdoch daughter buys Reveille, which had raised conflict-of-interest questions.
NBC Entertainment co-Chairman Ben Silverman on Wednesday sold his television production company to London-based Shine Ltd., owned by media baron Rupert Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth, for $125 million.
Source:
L.A. Times - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am
If 'Spiderwick' and 'Jumper' get box-office love this weekend they could spawn offspring.
It starts today with Valentine's Day and runs through Presidents Day, but what Hollywood executives hope to celebrate on this long holiday weekend is something closer to their hearts than Cupid or Lincoln: the movie franchise.
Source:
L.A. Times - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 8:00 am
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -New York insurance regulator Eric Dinallo, who is heading up efforts to rescue bond insurers, is set to testify that he will consider allowing the companies...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 7:56 am
About 1,000 jobs will go at Morgan Stanley as the US bank cuts back its home lending business.
Source:
BBC News | Business | World Edition | 14 Feb 2008 | 7:51 am
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Air France-KLM Group , Europe's biggest airline, plans to invest in a combined Delta Air Lines Inc and Northwest Airlines Corp carrier in exchange for a board seat, Bloomberg said on its Website on Wednesday.
Source:
Reuters: Business News | 14 Feb 2008 | 7:50 am
Oil prices were steady Thursday after rising moderately in the previous session, supported by Wall Street's overnight rise and threats to U.S. oil supplies. Wall Street rallied...
Source:
Infocious RSS raw feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 14 Feb 2008 | 7:47 am
UBS, Europe's largest bank, confirmed its first loss in a decade today as it
fell SwFr 4.4 billion (£2 billion) into the red and wrote off $13.7 billion
($£7 billion) on investments related to US sub-prime mortgages.
Source:
Latest Business News from Times Online | 14 Feb 2008 | 7:42 am
Europe's biggest casualty of the meltdown in US subprime securities confirmed that losses in fixed income trading had heavily outweighed another successful year in private banking
Source:
FT.com - US homepage | 14 Feb 2008 | 7:27 am
Reuters - The United States is experiencing a
"significant" housing market downturn but the economy is
fundamentally sound and should avoid recession, Treasury
Secretary Henry Paulson will tell Congress on Thursday.
Source:
Yahoo! News: Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 6:07 am
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is experiencing a "significant" housing market downturn but the economy is fundamentally sound and should avoid recession, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will tell Congress on Thursday.
Source:
Reuters: Business News | 14 Feb 2008 | 6:06 am
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The bond insurer problem must be fixed, or else it could become a "financial tsunami" that wreaks havoc on the broader economy, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is due to tell the U.S. Congress on Thursday.
Source:
Reuters: Business News | 14 Feb 2008 | 5:39 am
CANBERRA - The unemployment rate dropped to a fresh 33-year low of 4.1 per cent in January, fuelling speculation of another interest rate hike.
The unemployment rate fell to a seasonally-adjusted 4.1 per cent in January compared...
Source:
New Zealand Herald - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 3:10 am
MGIC, one of the largest US mortgage insurers, suffered its largest quarterly loss in the fourth-quarter as the numbers of homeowners unable to keep up with payments on mortgages soared
Source:
FT.com - US homepage | 14 Feb 2008 | 2:11 am
A collapse in confidence in a $330bn corner of the debt market has left US municipalities and student loan providers facing spiralling interest rate costs
Source:
FT.com - US homepage | 14 Feb 2008 | 1:42 am
Butter and cheddar cheese prices jumped 14.7 per cent in January.
The price rises for both dairy products were a key factor in pushing the food price index up 0.4 per cent last month, Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) said today.
The...
Source:
New Zealand Herald - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 1:35 am
Transtasman brewer Lion Nathan Ltd has revised its guidance for net profit for the 2008 financial year to between A$265m-A$275m.
In November last year, Lion Nathan forecast a net operating profit in a range of A$270 million to...
Source:
New Zealand Herald - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 1:30 am
The Australian listed entity Blue Chip Financial Solutions Ltd is to be suspended indefinitely from the ASX, at the request of the company.
The company's shares had been in a trading halt since about midday yesterday.
Today's...
Source:
New Zealand Herald - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 1:30 am
Government Investment Corp of Singapore, a sovereign wealth fund, is expected to be the lead investor in a $6bn fund that TPG, the private equity firm, is raising to invest in troubled financial firms
Source:
FT.com - US homepage | 14 Feb 2008 | 1:05 am
John McCain would accept public financing in the general election were his Democratic opponent to do so, his campaign said, raising the prospect that the most expensive election in US history might conclude in a taxpayer-funded finale
Source:
FT.com - US homepage | 14 Feb 2008 | 1:03 am
Growth at AmTrust Financial Services is often just an acquisition away.
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Investor's Business Daily: BUSINESS | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:47 am
ID fraud declines, tactics go retro
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Investor's Business Daily: BUSINESS | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:47 am
Total (TOT), the French oil giant, said Q4 net profit rose 61% to $5.23 bil, topping forecast. It rose 1.7% to 72.46.
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Investor's Business Daily: BUSINESS | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:47 am
NAVIGATORS (NAVG), a marine insurer, said its Q4 EPS rose 25% to $1.51 ex items, 11 cents over views. Sales rose 21% to $183 mil. It fell.
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Investor's Business Daily: BUSINESS | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:47 am
Agrium beats, gives bullish outlook
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Investor's Business Daily: BUSINESS | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:47 am
Steel & Tube saw profit slide 42 per cent for the first half, worse than a previously forecast decline of up to a quarter, despite a 7 per cent rise in revenue.
Net profit fell to $8.6 million for the six months ended December...
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New Zealand Herald - Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:45 am
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp has jumped into the fight for control of Yahoo, reviving discussions with the internet company about a possible combination that would thwart Microsoft and its $40.69bn takeover offer
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FT.com - US homepage | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:18 am
Diageo, the maker of Guinness and Smirnoff vodka, sought to distance itself from a slowdown in the consumer sector today after reporting a 9pc rise in operating profits in the six months to the end of December.
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Telegraph Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:05 am
Buy-to-let property investment is becoming "a rich man's game" with little space for the amateur speculator, the head of Britain's largest provider of second-home mortgages said yesterday.
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Telegraph Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:01 am
A fake stockbroker who caused clients to lose more than £350,000 has been sentenced to 15 months in prison following a prosecution brought by the Financial Services Authority.
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Telegraph Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:01 am
This was always likely to happen. Following our story yesterday about Marks & Spencer desperately distributing 800,000 discount vouchers offering 20pc off clothing, food and homeware, here comes another sale.
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Telegraph Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:01 am
Pressure is growing for a one-year delay to Alistair Darling's proposals to tax non-domiciles after a watering down of the complex policy failed to convince foreign residents to stay.
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Telegraph Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:01 am
Britain's biggest power producer, British Energy, saw third-quarter pre-tax profits fall £101m to £192m on the back of nuclear reactor shutdowns and lower electricity prices.
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Telegraph Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:01 am
The need for renewable energy sources is driving a move into high-quality stocks in the clean-tech sector.
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Telegraph Business | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:01 am
Piero Ferrari inherited the distinctive eyes of his late father, Enzo, but at
least Piero radiates a sense of inner calm and happiness. Enzo was never
seen without his sunglasses after the untimely death of his first son,
Alfredo, also known as Dino, in 1956. Devastated, he famously wrote in his
diary - using his trademark purple ink - “the match is lost”. On a personal
level, Enzo Ferrari endured much tragedy, but the company that bears his
name is going from strength to strength.
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Latest Business News from Times Online | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:00 am
British Energy, the UK’s biggest electricity generator, is considering a £5.5
billion break-up plan that would involve creating a new company focused on
building the next generation of nuclear power plants, <i>The Times </i>has
learnt.
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Latest Business News from Times Online | 14 Feb 2008 | 12:00 am
Comcast said on Thursday that it would pay an annual dividend and set a 2009 target to complete a stock buyback program, two actions aimed at addressing investor demands to boost its share price. 
Reuters - Morgan Stanley will slash 1,000
jobs, scale back its U.S. home-lending business and shut down a
British mortgage unit as new management takes a hard look at
the continued deterioration in mortgage markets.
