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Futures point to higher open for Wall Street(Reuters) - Wall Street is set to open higher on Tuesday, according to stock index futures, with investors awaiting macroeconomic data such as house price trends, as well as several corporate updates.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 3:06 am Futures point to higher open for Wall Street (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 23 Feb 2010 | 3:06 am Apple, LL Bean, And Amazon Make BusinessWeek Customer Service List, But So Does Toyota’s LexusThe problem with customer satisfaction surveys is that, by their nature, they look back in time and not forward. BusinessWeek announced the results of its customer service poll. The project used JP Power data and the magazine’s collection of data from 5,000 people. The poll covered 200 brands. The companies at the top of the list [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 23 Feb 2010 | 3:02 am Dollar slips as worries over sovereign debt fadeGlobal Markets Overview: Investors appear more relaxed about the pace of global monetary tightening, helping worries about sovereign debt to recedeSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 23 Feb 2010 | 3:01 am Flights from Paris hit by strikesFlights are cancelled at the two main Paris airports as French air traffic controllers begin a five-day strike.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:58 am UK mortgage loans at 8 1/2 year low in January (AP)AP - Mortgage lending in Britain hit the lowest level in 8 1/2 years in January at 8 billion pounds ($12.4 billion), major banks reported Tuesday.Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:57 am Hong Kong up, Shanghai down in mixed Asian marketsAsian markets end mixed Tuesday, with concerns about an impending increase in supply of shares dragging on financial stocks in China, while Hong Kong advance as investors snapped up property developers.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:56 am Stocks up, dollar eases; Bernanke awaited (Reuters)
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:54 am World markets mostly higher as dollar weakens (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:52 am World markets mostly higher as dollar weakens (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:52 am Senate takes up jobs billThe Senate voted Monday to push forward a $15 billion jobs creation bill that would give businesses a tax break for hiring the unemployed.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:50 am Toyota bosses to face US hearingsToyota chiefs will begin testifying on safety issues later when the first of a series of congressional hearings begins.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:50 am Kabel Deutschland plans IPO for FrankfurtGermany’s largest cable television operator, Kabel Deutschland, on Tuesday announced plans to go forward with an initial public offering as buyout talks reportedly ended.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:48 am AT&T, Verizon and Sprint 4G: Not so fastDespite claims from mobile phone carriers, the next generation of mobile technology, or 4G, will only be slightly faster than current 3G speeds.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:47 am Economic Report: Germany's Ifo business climate gauge falls in Feb.A closely-watched measure of German business sentiment slips in February, raising further questions about the pace and sustainability of Europe’s largest economy.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:45 am London Markets: Wolseley shares shine in higher FTSE 100Shares of building materials group Wolseley surge in the top British share index on Tuesday, after the firm says that it expects to report better-than-forecast earnings.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:42 am Heineken, Carlsberg profits surge, volumes fallTwo of Europe’s largest brewers, Heineken and Carlsberg, on Tuesday report surging profits but declining volumes.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:40 am Sharp fall in new mortgage loansThe number of mortgages that the UK's biggest banks agreed with home buyers "fell sharply" in January, figures show.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:39 am Man United tickets seized in raidPolice investigating a suspected ticket-touting ring seize dozens of Manchester United tickets during a raid.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:34 am Goldman banker criticises Athens swapsA senior banker claims the transparency standards surrounding controversial currency swaps the bank structured for the Greek government in 2001 “could have and should have been higher”Source: Financial Times - US homepage | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am Carlsberg Q4 profits more than triple (AP)AP - Danish brewer Carlsberg A/S on Tuesday reported a more than threefold rise in fourth quarter net profit, to 383 million kroner ($70 million), thanks mainly to reduced costs.Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:30 am Reckitt Benckiser accused by OFTThe Office of Fair Trading accuses Reckitt Benckiser of rigging the market for Gaviscon following a BBC investigation.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:28 am Buyer rules out quick Pompey dealOne of the parties interested in buying troubled Portsmouth says he will not be able to take over the club ahead of Monday's winding up petition.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:27 am It's a bird, it's a plane ... it's a $1 million comic bookSince he started selling comic books at age 16, Vincent Zurzolo had only dreamt of selling a million-dollar comic book.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:23 am The Buzz: The boy who cried housing recovery!Lowe's reported a better-than-expected profit for the fourth quarter on Monday, and the nation's second-largest home-improvement retailer indicated that 2010 would be a better year for the housing market.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:22 am Stocks finish lowerStocks ended a choppy session lower Monday as investors weighed earnings news, President Obama's health care proposal and Schlumberger's $11 billion buyout deal for oil services rival Smith International.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:16 am Olympic gold equals big moneyWinning gold could mean even more money for the Winter Olympics' superstar athletes. Of the top earners, experts say Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White and Bode Miller stand to gain the most.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:13 am Heineken 2009 profit rises to $1.39 bln) (AP)AP - The Dutch brewer Heineken NV said Tuesday full year 2009 profit rose fivefold as it had fewer impairment charges than last year and it cut costs and raised prices despite the global economic downturn.Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:10 am Heineken 2009 profit rises to $1.39 bln)The Dutch brewer Heineken NV said Tuesday full year 2009 profit rose fivefold as it had fewer impairment charges than last year and it cut costs and raised prices despite the global...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:10 am Corporate manslaughter trial to openA Gloucestershire company is due to face trial accused of the corporate manslaughter of a 27-year-old geologist.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:10 am Tengzhong may buy Hummer via offshore vehicleSHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's Tengzhong could use an offshore vehicle to buy General Motors' Hummer brand if it fails to win Chinese regulatory approval for the ambitious but controversial plan that has met with cooling government appetite.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:07 am Protesters blockade Greek stock exchange (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:05 am Commerzbank posts heavy 2009 loss, sees upturn this yearCommerzbank, the second-biggest German bank, reported on Tuesday a sharp loss in 2009 but voiced some optimism for this year amid concern that economic recovery could be hobbled by tight...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:04 am News Corp eyes stake in Saudi-owned Rotana Media: reportMedia giant News Corp is set to agree a deal to buy 10 percent of Rotana entertainment, owned by Saudi tycoon Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. A deal...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:04 am Europe Markets: Europe advances as earnings eyedEuropean shares advance on Tuesday, helped by earnings-related gains for Heineken, Carlsberg and Wolseley.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 23 Feb 2010 | 2:03 am Media Digest 2/23/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, BloombergReuters: The $15 billion jobs bill advanced in the Senate. Reuters: Toyota (NYSE:TM) faces a US criminal probe. Reuters: KKR and TPC are close to a deal to buy Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) share of CICC. Reuters: Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) bought Vudu to move into web movies. WSJ: Brookfield Asset Management will compete with Simon Properties to buy General Growth. WSJ: Support [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:58 am AstraZeneca lifts earnings view on tax resolutionAstraZeneca reaches a deal to pay $783 million to the British government to resolve a tax dispute.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:58 am Buffett-backed BYD in major auto export pushSHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - China's BYD Co Ltd , backed by U.S. billionaire Warren Buffett, aims to sharply boost its car exports this year, banking on improving demand as the global economy recovers, an executive said on Tuesday.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:55 am OFT accuses Reckitt Benckiser of abusing market positionBritian's consumer watchdog has accused Reckitt Benckiser of abusing its dominant market position in the supply of heartburn medicines.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:55 am FTSE rises slightly at the open (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:53 am Roche: Avastin trial fails on stomach cancerRoche Holdings says a late-stage trial of its key Avastin drug in combination with chemotherapy didn’t extend life in patients with advanced stomach cancer.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:52 am Minerva boss sees turn in commercial propertyThe chairman of Minerva, one of the most active property developers in the UK, has claimed that the commercial property market has passed its cyclical low point, with a shortage of large, high-quality sites in the City in particular driving demand. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:45 am Currencies: Dollar edges down against rivals in Asian tradingThe dollar gives back some ground against rivals in Asian trading but remains in recent ranges.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:45 am Greek bourse starts trade despite protestATHENS (Reuters) - Greek shares began trading on time on Tuesday, unaffected by a leftist trade union protest that sought to disrupt the session by blocking the entrance to the Hellenic Exchanges building.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:44 am Greek bourse starts trade despite protest (Reuters)Reuters - Greek shares began trading on time on Tuesday, unaffected by a leftist trade union protest that sought to disrupt the session by blocking the entrance to the Hellenic Exchanges (EXCr.AT) building.Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:44 am Continental 2009 loss widens 50 pct to $2.2BGerman tires and car parts maker Continental AG says its net loss for 2009 widened by 50 percent as the economic downturn sapped demand for its products. The Hanover-based company says...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:38 am Earnings Watch: Updates, advisories and surprisesA roundup of the latest corporate earnings reports and what companies are saying about future quarters.
Source: MarketWatch.com - Top Stories | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:31 am Protesters blockade Greek stock exchangeMembers of a trade union have blockaded the Athens Stock Market to protest government austerity measures aimed at tackling Greece's debt crisis. Protest organizers, backed by the...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:28 am Calif. insurer to face questioning over rate hike (AP)AP - Anthem Blue Cross executives are scheduled to testify Tuesday before a California legislative committee about an attempt to boost insurance premiums by up to 39 percent, a proposal that has become a flash point in the national debate over health care reform.Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:28 am Greek unionists block Athens bourse entrance (Reuters)Reuters - A group of about 150 trade union protesters blocked entrances to the Athens stock exchange building on Tuesday but bourse officials said they expected trade to go ahead normally.Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:25 am Lexus driver to describe 6 miles of terror (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:24 am Asia Market And Europe OpenMarkets in Asia were mixed. The Nikkei fell .5% to 10,352. Toyota (NYSE:TM) and Honda (NYSE:HMC). The Hang Seng rose 1.1% to 20,600. The Shanghai Composite dropped .7% to 2,983. At the open in Europe, The FTSE rose .5% to 5,380. The Dax was up .4% to 5,713. The CAC 40 rose .7% to 3,781. Data from Reuters and MarketWatch. Douglas [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:22 am AstraZeneca says settles tax dispute with BritainAnglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca on Tuesday said it had agreed to pay the British state 505 million pounds (575 million euros, 786 million dollars) to settle a long-standing tax dispute.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:21 am Strike on hold, Lufthansa flights still irregularThousands of pilots have gone back to work at German airline Lufthansa after a strike was suspended but the carrier is warning that it won't return to its normal schedule until Friday. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:17 am Strike on hold, Lufthansa flights still irregular (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:17 am Business Bullet: US Fed, Commerzbank, QE, DraxThe latest news on: US Fed, Commerzbank, QE, DraxSource: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:16 am Calif. insurer to face questioning over rate hikeExecutives from California's largest for-profit health insurer will testify before a state legislative committee about their attempt to boost insurance premiums. The rate hike of up to...Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:16 am Beer group calls for lower taxesThe British Beer & Pub Association calls on the government to scrap plans to raise beer taxes and save 7,500 jobs in the process.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:13 am Greek unionists block Athens bourse entranceATHENS (Reuters) - A group of about 150 unionists blocked the entrance to the Athens stock exchange on Tuesday but bourse officials said they expected trade to go ahead normally.Source: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:10 am Democrats cautiously embrace Obama health planCongressional Democrats cautiously embraced President Barack Obama's new health care plan as their last hope for enacting a comprehensive overhaul. Republicans trashed it, dimming prospectsSource: RSS feed - channel BNewsBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:07 am AstraZeneca to pay UK £505m to settle disputeAstraZeneca, Britain's second-biggest drugs company, has agreed to pay £505m to the UK government in order to settle a dispute.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:06 am OFT accuses Reckitt of abuse over Gaviscon supplyThe Office of Fair Trading (OFT) today accused Reckitt Benckiser, the household and healthcare products maker, of abusing its dominant position in the market for antacid drugs by offering doctors only an expensive version of Gaviscon. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:04 am Toyota gets two subpoenas as sudden acceleration complaints pile upThere might have been 2,600 incidents of unintended acceleration in the last decade, about 600 more than the number of complaints filed by Toyota owners to federal regulators, a House committee says.Toyota has received nearly 38,000 calls and reports from customers about sudden acceleration problems in its vehicles, many of them flooding in to the automaker after it began recalling its vehicles last September, a congressional panel said Monday.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Lifetime's new looks haven't fit quite rightIts audience has been shrinking as it aims for younger viewers. A leadership shake-up is ahead.Sensible shoes or stilettos? Lifetime is still trying to figure out which fits best.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Anthem Blue Cross broke law more than 700 times, official saysCalifornia Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner says the insurer failed to pay medical claims on time and misrepresented policies from 2006 to 2009. The firm faces up to $7 million in fines. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Toyota gets two subpoenas as sudden acceleration complaints pile upThere might have been 2,600 incidents of unintended acceleration in the last decade, about 600 more than the number of complaints filed by Toyota owners to federal regulators, a House committee says. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Bank of America's $150-million settlement with SEC gets grudging approvalFederal Judge Jed Rakoff, who had rejected an earlier settlement of the case in which the bank was accused of lying to shareholders, calls the final agreement 'half-baked justice at best.' ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Bank of America's $150-million settlement with SEC gets grudging approvalFederal Judge Jed Rakoff, who had rejected an earlier settlement of the case in which the bank was accused of lying to shareholders, calls the final agreement 'half-baked justice at best.'A federal judge reluctantly approved a settlement between Bank of America and the Securities and Exchange Commission, ending one of the highest-profile legal cases to come out of the financial crisis.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Toyota's fractured structure may be at root of safety problemsThe uncoordinated response to problems resulted from a diffuse organization, former company insiders say.In a bold national TV appearance early this month, a top executive at Toyota's U.S. sales office in Torrance declared that the automaker had discovered the exact causes of sudden acceleration in its vehicles: floor mats and sticking pedals.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Time isn't on his side, but he's fighting for itIt's wrong to say that Bob Iritano is fighting for his life; he knows he's lost that battle. What he's fighting for is time.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am As Anthem Blue Cross sends profit to WellPoint, it plans hefty rate hikes for CaliforniansEven as the health insurance giant turns over hundreds of millions in profits to its parent company, it defends plans to raise rates for Californians whose care last year exceeded premiums paid.Health insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross said it was raising rates on thousands of individual policyholders in California because the cost of their medical care exceeded the premiums they paid last year.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Time isn't on his side, but he's fighting for itIt's wrong to say that Bob Iritano is fighting for his life; he knows he's lost that battle. What he's fighting for is time.Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Google Buzz may put children at risk, parents fearKids might not know they're sharing private details with the public.Parents and privacy watchdogs are sounding the alarm that Google Inc.'s new social networking tool, called Buzz, may put children at risk.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Cities kicking the tires on new ideas for vacant auto lotsFacing a revenue void, officials look at opening the properties for retail and office space or even housing.In Whittier, city officials are clearing the way for office buildings, retail shops and even homes to take root on the land where the vacant car lots stand.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Google Buzz may put children at risk, parents fearKids might not know they're sharing private details with the public. Parents and privacy watchdogs are sounding...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Stocks waver in early trading on earnings, M & ANEW YORK -- Stocks fluctuated Monday after another round of upbeat earnings reports and corporate dealmaking.Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am As Anthem Blue Cross sends profit to WellPoint, it plans hefty rate hikes for CaliforniansEven as the health insurance giant turns over hundreds of millions in profits to its parent company, it defends plans to raise rates for Californians whose care last year exceeded premiums paid. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Lifetime's new looks haven't fit quite rightIts audience has been shrinking as it aims for younger viewers. A leadership shake-up is ahead. Sensible shoes...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Toyota's fractured structure may be at root of safety problemsThe uncoordinated response to problems resulted from a diffuse organization, former company insiders say. In a...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 23 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am Commerzbank hit by €4.5bn lossGermany’s second-largest bank lost €4.5bn in 2009 as the cost of overhauling the acquired Dresdner Bank and a steep rise in loan-loss provisions took their tollSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 23 Feb 2010 | 12:57 am Toyota must do 'much better' on safety, says chief (AFP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 12:53 am World economy to be hit by several sovereign defaults, Ken Rogoff warnsThe world economy will be hit by several sovereign debt defaults in coming years, according to Ken Rogoff, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund who predicted the global banking crisis.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 23 Feb 2010 | 12:47 am Toyota faces U.S. criminal probe, Japan government eyes impactTOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp's woes deepened ahead of its testimony to Congress on safety issues, as it revealed it faces a U.S. criminal probe into the handling of its massive recalls, while Japan voiced concern over the economic impact of the automakers' problems.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 12:42 am Mixed fortunes for brewing firmsHeineken reports a drop in sales volumes in 2009, while strong performances in Eastern Europe and Asia boost Carlsberg.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 23 Feb 2010 | 12:41 am 'Here for the tough times' - Telecom CEO won't resignFaced with four network failures in two months which have already seen two managers lose their jobs, Telecom chief executive Paul Reynolds is determined he won't be the third.Dr Reynolds today faced up to the public to say "enough...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 23 Feb 2010 | 12:38 am Intel plans $2 billion fund to invest in U.S. companies: WSJ(Reuters) - U.S. technology giant Intel Corp is planning to set up a $2 billion fund to invest in U.S. companies, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 12:31 am 'More resignations' in downturnMore managers resigned in the past year than in the previous 12 months, despite the economic downturn, research suggests.Source: BBC News | Business | World Edition | 23 Feb 2010 | 12:26 am Heineken sees difficult 2010 after in-line 2009BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Heineken NV , the world's third-largest brewer, forecast lower beer consumption in many regions, limited price increases and few cost benefits this year after reporting 2009 results broadly in line with expectations.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 23 Feb 2010 | 12:15 am Telecom dominates slow day on marketTelecom's woes with its XT network dominated the New Zealand sharemarket in what was generally a flat day.Overall, the benchmark NZX-50 index ended the day down 3.387 points, or 0.1 per cent at 3126.367.Turnover of 27.4 million...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 11:57 pm Solar project gets tentative OK for US loan aid (AP)AP - The Obama administration on Monday gave preliminary approval for $1.4 billion in federal loan guarantees for a sprawling solar-energy project in California's Mojave Desert.Source: Yahoo! News: Business News | 22 Feb 2010 | 11:04 pm KKR, TPG nearing Morgan Stanley CICC deal: sourcesNEW YORK (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley is in late stage talks to sell its stake in China International Capital Corp to Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co and TPG Capital for more than $1 billion, according to three sources familiar with the situation.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:59 pm NZ dollar little changed todayThe New Zealand dollar limped along today, barely moving in an absence of major events.The kiwi was worth US70.20c at 5pm today, little changed from US70.26c at the same time yesterday.The dollar traded in a US0.17 cent range...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:52 pm China’s latest mystery: Hu Jintao and the vanishing micro-blogChina’s President startled the internet at the weekend by opening a micro-blog – the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 22 Feb 2010 | 9:44 pm Telecom offers major compensation package after XT failuresTelecom CEO Paul Reynolds has offered disgruntled XT customers a major compensation package, as his company battles to fix the problematic network.Dr Reynolds offered compensation to contract, pre-pay and business customers south...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm Bryers admits Blue Chip book keeping offencesBlue Chip co-founder Mark Bryers has admitted failing to keep accounting books and records in the lead-up to the collapse of his property investment empire.He was excused from appearing in the Auckland District Court today but...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 8:30 pm Brookfield eyeing bid for General Growth stake: reportNEW YORK (Reuters) - Canada's Brookfield Asset Management Inc is preparing to bid for a large stake in No. 2 U.S. mall owner General Growth Properties Inc, aiming to outbid Simon Property Group Inc, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 22 Feb 2010 | 8:03 pm Telecom's 'lack of process' behind XT failure - expertTelecom's faulty XT network was born of an "odd" exclusive relationship between Telecom and supplier Alcatel-Lucent, says a market researcher.Four XT outages since Christmas has led to the resignations of Telecom's chief transformation...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 8:00 pm Toyota hit with grand jury subpoenaToyota said Monday it has received a federal grand jury subpoena for documents relating to the unintended acceleration of its vehicles and braking systems in the Toyota Prius.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 22 Feb 2010 | 7:47 pm Buy a slice of Buffett?Warren Buffett may seem like a cheap date, given his penchant for Dairy Queen. But to pick up shares of his Berkshire Hathaway you've had to fork over Le Cirque prices. Indeed, Berkshire's A-shares recently sold for more than $100,000 apiece, while the "more affordable" B-shares were nearly $3,500.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 22 Feb 2010 | 7:34 pm Apple tops reliability surveySource: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 22 Feb 2010 | 7:34 pm Housing confidence rising, says ASBHousing confidence is on the rise in Auckland, while a new survey is showing growing uncertainty about tax changes and rising interest rates.The latest ASB New Zealand Housing Confidence survey out today shows that respondents...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 7:30 pm NZ Super Fund loses money in Jan, up for yearThe New Zealand Superannuation Fund recorded a 1.97 per cent loss in January, bringing its performance in the first seven months of its financial year to 15 per cent.The fund's investment income has added $2.12 billion to the$13.53...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 7:26 pm Contact says power prices need to riseContact Energy says electricity retail prices need to rise, after reporting flat underlying earnings for the six months to the end of December.Contact managing director David Baldwin said challenging conditions posed by high hydro...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 6:30 pm Schlumberger sees gas drill growth in Smith dealSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Oilfield services leader Schlumberger Ltd aims to gain market share in shale gas drilling with its purchase of rival Smith International Inc, and expects few antitrust hurdles for the takeover.
Source: Reuters: Business News | 22 Feb 2010 | 6:27 pm Consumer protection agency would put teeth in new credit card rules, backers saySeveral regulations took effect Monday that limit the charges banks can impose on customers, including a ban on retroactive interest rate increases. ...Source: RSS feed - channel BNPaperBusiness | 22 Feb 2010 | 6:19 pm Consumer protection agency would put teeth in new credit card rules, backers saySeveral regulations took effect Monday that limit the charges banks can impose on customers, including a ban on retroactive interest rate increases.New federal credit card rules that took effect Monday outlaw the most egregious industry practices, such as retroactive interest rate increases and hidden fees, that have cost customers billions of dollars a year.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 6:19 pm Telecom rivals move quickly to lure away XT usersTelecoms rivals Vodafone and Two Degrees are launching offers specifically for disgruntled Telecom users in light of recurring disruptions to Telecom's XT network.Vodafone New Zealand is offering Telecom customers on either XT...Source: nzherald.co.nz - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 6:00 pm Toyota And Barry BondsToyota (TM) should never have had a chance to be the No.1 car company in the world. It began as one of the small corporations built during the industrialization of post-WWII Japan. It eventually became of the pride of the nation’s manufacturing business along with Sony (SNE). But, to be the top car company in the [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 22 Feb 2010 | 5:50 pm Wal-Mart to acquire movie download provider VuduThe retailer is betting future consumers will shun DVDs in favor of online distribution.Wal-Mart Stores, tapping into the potentially lucrative business of selling movies directly into the home via the Internet, has agreed to buy struggling digital distributor Vudu.
Source: L.A. Times - Business | 22 Feb 2010 | 5:45 pm Oil exceeds $80 as French strike hits supply$The price of crude oil exceeded $80 per barrel yesterday as a strike by refinery workers in France threatened to spread across the country.$ Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 22 Feb 2010 | 5:01 pm BAA’s retail sales at best for a decadeThe appeal of duty-free shopping more than offset lower passenger numbers as London’s airports reported their best retail income figures for more than a decade. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 22 Feb 2010 | 5:01 pm The true cost of bullyingThe time of a vital meeting has been changed — no one told you and you’ve missed it. Even worse, despite your 12-hour days, you cannot cope with your workload. When you try to talk to your manager, he just asks you why, yet again, you’ve failed to deliver. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 22 Feb 2010 | 5:01 pm Pressure grows on energy suppliers to pass on price cutsFive of Britain’s biggest energy companies were facing mounting pressure to cut prices last night after figures from Ofgem, the industry regulator, showed the average profits they earned per household leapt 40 per cent this winter to the highest level in five years. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 22 Feb 2010 | 5:01 pm Business Big Shot: Greg ClarkeGreg Clarke’s sudden exit as chief executive of O3b, the Google-backed satellite broadband company, has sent a ripple of unease through the industry, given that he was only handed the job in November. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 22 Feb 2010 | 5:01 pm Punishment must fit the crime when paying tax bills lateAs the recession began to bite, the Chancellor gave an undertaking that HM Revenue & Customs would take a more accommodating approach to businesses that genuinely had difficulty in making tax payments on time. However, as the recession has progressed and tax revenues have plummeted, this undertaking has often been less apparent in practice. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 22 Feb 2010 | 5:01 pm Toyota under criminal investigation in AmericaToyota is under criminal investigation in the United States after a federal grand jury issued a subpoena to force the car group to give up documents relating to its recall crisis. Source: Latest Business News from Times Online | 22 Feb 2010 | 5:01 pm US senate moves ahead on $15bn jobs billThe US senate voted to move forward on a $15bn jobs bill that was proposed by Harry Reid, leader of the Democratic majority in the SenateSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 22 Feb 2010 | 4:59 pm Charles Schwab to move to NYSE from Nasdaq (AP)AP - Investment services provider Charles Schwab Corp. said Monday that it plans to move its stock listing to the New York Stock Exchange from the Nasdaq.Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 22 Feb 2010 | 4:34 pm News Corp in Middle East moveNews Corp, Rupert Murdoch’s global media empire, is close to buying a stake in Rotana Media, the broadcaster and music group owned by Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin TalalSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 22 Feb 2010 | 4:24 pm Stocks end 4-day win streak as traders turn wary (AP)AP - WHAT MADE INVESTORS STOP BUYING: Earnings reports from Campbell Soup Co. and Lowes Cos. raised concerns about consumer spending.Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 22 Feb 2010 | 4:11 pm Stocks close lower on caution about economy (AP)
Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 22 Feb 2010 | 3:57 pm Don't try to do this onlineEven good sites may have certain tools that aren't so hot. Some sites may make you poorer. And sometimes the problem is you.Source: Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com | 22 Feb 2010 | 3:52 pm Write-Offs: 02.22.10$$$ Goldman Sachs Says It Did `Nothing Inappropriate' on Greek Currency Swaps [Bloomberg] $$$ Former Merrill Exec Fleming Seeks $20 Million from BofA [FBN] $$$ The Woman Behind Greece's Debt Deal [WSJ] $$$ How Tax Evasion Is Complicating Greek Rescue Efforts [The Atlantic] 
 Source: Dealbreaker | 22 Feb 2010 | 3:48 pm How the major stock indexes fared on Friday (AP)AP - The stock market paused from a four-day rally Monday and closed modestly lower after big consumer companies gave a cautious outlook for economic growth.Source: Yahoo! News: Stock Markets News | 22 Feb 2010 | 3:40 pm Morgan Stanley nears sale of CICC stakeMorgan Stanley is nearing the sale of its stake in China International Capital Corp to two US private equity firms, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and TPG, for about $1bn, ending a relationship that has long been strainedSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 22 Feb 2010 | 3:40 pm Paul Krugman Dries His Clothes in a Frying Pan, and Other ReadingA bit of evening reading: Dive into The New Yorker's 10,782-word profile of Paul Krugman. Or skim the excerpts posted at the Atlantic, which grabs the political and economic bits, and New York Magazine, which highlights Krugman's struggles to dry his clothes on the road. A bunch of former Treasury secretaries from both Republican and Democratic administrations backed the Volcker Rule in a letter to the WSJ. Key sentence: "Banks benefiting from public support by means of access to the Federal Reserve and FDIC insurance should not engage in essentially speculative activity unrelated to essential bank services." Greece missed a deadline Friday to deliver some economic data to the European Commission. Part of the reason, according to the FT: a four-day strike at the Greek finance ministry. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: NPR Blogs: Planet Money | 22 Feb 2010 | 3:30 pm Reply.com Files for IPO (RPLY)Reply! Inc., an operator of a proprietary auction marketplace that facilitates online locally targeted marketing, has filed today for an initial public offering. While no financial terms were disclosed, the IPO is for up to $60,000,000 in common stock. The joint book-running managers were Jefferies along with Piper Jaffray and co-managers were Needham & Company [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 22 Feb 2010 | 3:24 pm Charlie Gasparino: "I Left [CNBC] Extremely Amicably"
Source: Dealbreaker | 22 Feb 2010 | 3:22 pm Taxes, Egypt ETF, Discount Rate, Stocks: Taking StockSource: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 22 Feb 2010 | 3:10 pm Obama seeks to end health stalematePresident Barack Obama threw his full weight behind healthcare reform attempting to inject new momentum into the legislative process that has stalled on Capitol HillSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 22 Feb 2010 | 3:01 pm US federal grand jury subpoenas ToyotaToyota has received a subpoena from a US federal grand jury over its handling of safety problems with its cars in a development which opens the door to criminal prosecution and hefty fines for the Japanese companySource: Financial Times - US homepage | 22 Feb 2010 | 2:58 pm Banks have paid their pound of flesh, now the pillorying must stopThe pillorying of bankers must end, says Damian Reece, Britain's banks need managers not martyrs.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 22 Feb 2010 | 2:23 pm Bowles, Simpson Discuss Federal Deficit Commission: VideoSource: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 22 Feb 2010 | 2:14 pm Britain doesn't have the luxury of time when it comes to cutting the deficitThat politicians have never made particularly good financial stewards was brought home again last night on Jeff Randall's Sky News show.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 22 Feb 2010 | 2:14 pm Some People Actually Like The Volcker Rule
In other news, today is National Margarita Day.
Source: Dealbreaker | 22 Feb 2010 | 2:06 pm Goldman admits helping Greece 'fiddle books' to conceal public debtOne of Goldman Sachs' top financiers has admitted the bank helped Greece "fiddle the books" to conceal its public debt in a way that "accentuated risk" for the stricken country.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 22 Feb 2010 | 1:58 pm European banks face showdown over €1 trillion of debtBanks face direct competition to refinance from hungry sovereign states, according to a report by Morgan Stanley.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 22 Feb 2010 | 1:46 pm UK Treasury fails to allay tax fears with vague new codeIndustry leaders have reacted with exasperation to a new tax code designed to stem the exodus of businesses from Britain.Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 22 Feb 2010 | 1:43 pm Let's Set You Up (For Life): A Sampling Of Some Hedge Fund Managers' Attractive DaughtersAs a full-service website, one of the things we strive to do here at DealBreaker is get you laid, be it by paying strippers to sleep with you or simply making you aware of what's available at the buffet and giving you a gentle nudge in the right direction. For our favorite readers, though, we like to offer a little something extra. For you, we think long-term. It's not enough to set you up with hot chicks to tide you over for the night-- they should be rich hot chicks, the kind that, should you hit it off, will give you the opportunity to a) never work another day in your life again b) play house-husband or c) start your own hedge fund sans track record, with their daddy's money. To that end, take two today to peruse a few ladies you might be interested in (this is just a smattering of eligible hf offspring-- let's not blow your load in one sitting):
Source: Dealbreaker | 22 Feb 2010 | 1:37 pm Judge approves BofA settlement with SECA federal judge approved a $150m settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission and Bank of America involving disclosure issues related to the acquisition of Merrill LynchSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 22 Feb 2010 | 1:31 pm Industrial disputes grip European airlinesBritish Airways cabin crew voted to strike and Lufthansa was forced to cancel hundreds of flights before finally persuading its pilots to suspend a four-day walkoutSource: Financial Times - US homepage | 22 Feb 2010 | 1:27 pm NYU B-School Professor: FYI, You Can't Burst Into Show Tunes, Urinate On The Desk, Or Practice Hair-Removal In My ClassObviously this does not come from NYU professor Nouriel Roubini, who'd never hold his students to such freaky ass rules. It, along with a bunch of other rules for "tomorrow's business leaders," is courtesy of Professor Scott Galloway, precipitated by a student who dared to walk into his class several minutes late. In case anyone was wondering if that, or pissing on the desk was okay, here's your answer.
Source: Dealbreaker | 22 Feb 2010 | 1:25 pm Gordon Brown pledges a low debt economy, should we laugh or cry?Dear, oh dear. At a conference of business leaders in London yesterday, Gordon Brown set himself the goal of "re-establishing Britain as a low debt economy".Source: Finance and Business. Latest breaking news, stocks and shares from the UK and world | 22 Feb 2010 | 1:12 pm Walmart Buys VOD Firm Vudu, May Not Change Industry LandscapeThe New York Times reports that Walmart (WMT) has bought video on demand hardware and software company Vudu. The firm’s service is built into set-top boxes and Blu-ray devices. The paper reports that Vudu recently “announced deals to puts its service into the devices of Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp and Toshiba and said it was expanding its older relationships with [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 22 Feb 2010 | 1:04 pm Judge Approves BofA Settlement, But Will Have You Know He's Not Happy About ItAfter months of back and forth, Judge Jed Rakoff finally half-assedly approved the $150 million BofA settlement today. But Jed, who seems to be having a hard time letting go of his newfangled celebrity, didn't want to go down without panache and poetic prose. "Given the somewhat tortured background of these cases and the difficulties the motion presents, the Court is tempted to quote the great American philosopher Yogi Berra: "I wish I had an answer to that because I'm getting tired of answering that question."'
Source: Dealbreaker | 22 Feb 2010 | 12:56 pm Presented By:Source: Dealbreaker | 22 Feb 2010 | 12:56 pm Movie Rental Risk… Wal-Mart & Vudu (WMT, NFLX, BBI, CSTR, TIVO)Deciding who wins and who loses in movie rentals has proven to be a difficult task other than stating the obvious…. Online distribution and delivery distribution has major benefits over being a brick and mortar movie rental destination. But the war of movie deliveries for rentals or ownership is about to get closer to coming [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 22 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm Toyota Lied?“Toyota Lied” is a good headline and catchy enough to get a reader to look further into a story. In this case catchy is not where it ends. According to The Wall Street Journal, “A U.S. House committee says Toyota made misleading public comments on recalls. The committee also questioned NHTSA expertise in auto electronics.” This [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 22 Feb 2010 | 12:43 pm Caption Contest Monday
Source: Dealbreaker | 22 Feb 2010 | 12:27 pm Exchange-Traded Funds' Popularity Continues to Rise: AudioSource: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 22 Feb 2010 | 12:12 pm Skyworks Raised to `Buy' at Deutsche Bank: AudioSource: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 22 Feb 2010 | 12:10 pm SPAC Death: Atlas Acquistion Winding Down (AXG)Atlas Acquisition Holdings Corp. (AMEX: AXG) is a special purpose acquisition company, but not for very long. The company just announced that its board of directors has approved the dissolution of the company. In short, it is liquidating and returning the remaining assets to shareholders rather than pursuing any outside acquisitions or mergers. The proposed [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 22 Feb 2010 | 11:34 am The 25 Best Android Apps for BusinessHave you decked out your Droid with business apps yet? If not, take heed: Google Android phones still have a ways to go in terms of business functionality. But there are a few promising apps already. Here are some of the best Android apps for business we could find. While the apps below are good, expect to see many improvements from developers in the coming year. 25. Phonebook
Manage your contacts through this slick app, which lets you see missed calls, unread emails, text message, and upcoming birthdays by contact. Also lets you upload a photo of your contact. Handy if you have trouble keeping your contacts straight. 24. Sprite Android Backup
Prevention is the best medicine for system health. Back up and restore your system using this comprehensive $5 app. 23. Google Voice
Use a unique phone number for this VoIP service. It transcribes your voicemails, gives you free text messages, integrates with your phone’s address book, and offers cheap international calls. Like Skype, but Googlified. 22. Cab4Me
If you’re a business traveler, this free app, which finds cab companies near your GPS location, can help keep you out of a jam. Cab company listings include user reviews and contact information. 21. The Weather Channel
This handy app offers the kinds of in-depth forecasts you would expect from the Weather Channel. Features include live video. The app automatically updates your location through your phone’s GPS. 20. Astro File Manager
An app like Astro’s is essential for keeping your machine healthy. This free program keeps your files and system performance in check. It backs up your apps to a memory card, lets you see what processes are running, how much memory your systems is using, and CPU usage. 19. Stocks
This free app piggybacks on Google Finance data to show you quotes and trends. Covers markets around the world. 18. Talk to Me
An excellent travel survival tool. Say something in one language, and it talks back to you in another. Current languages include English, German, Spanish, French, and Italian. Best of all, it’s free. 17. Greed
Greed lets you read your RSS feeds without opening a browser. Stay up on news, blogs, and your industry quickly and easily. 16. TripIt
If you’re a frequent traveler, TripIt is your friend. It organizes flight, hotel, restaurant, and other itinerary information in an easy-to-read form. Also helps you find and contact places on the road through directions and contact info. 15. Currency
Currency converts more than 160 currencies using real-time foreign exchange rates. Comes with a tip calculator and, if you’re into forex trading, trends, charts, and news as well. 14. Seesmic
Possibly the best Droid app out there for Twitter users. Timelines organize your tweets; you can also save them as drafts and arrange notifications. There’s more. Seesmic is video and image-capable, shortens URLs, spellchecks, and supports multiple accounts. 13. Key Ring
Scan your gym, grocery store, or other membership card into your Droid. Key Ring stores each card’s barcode in a drop-down menu. Scan the barcode directly from your Droid the next time you go shopping or do any other activities requiring a card. 12. VNC Viewer
Stay leashed to your desktop with this handy app. It lets you safely log in and connect to a remote machine, so that you can make easy little changes without actually storing anything on your smartphone. 11. Google Maps Navigation
Possibly the best map app out there. Search by talking to the app. Or enter a landmark, business name, or other vague criteria, and Google Maps will generate results. Includes live traffic data, satellite view, street view, and turn-by-turn navigation. This app comes with Droid 1.6 models and higher. 10. Cashbook
This expense tracker lets you easily enter and track your business expenses. It also tracks your weekly and monthly balance. Comes with password protection. 9. ActionComplete
If GTD (Getting Things Done) and the Four Quadrants of time management are part of your daily vocabulary, ActionComplete is made for you. It’s a project management-style to-do list app, which lets you group tasks into actions, schedule actions to be taken by others, prioritize projects, tag actions, set reminders, and more. Bonus: It’s free. 8. MightyMeeting
MightyMeeting acts like a remote control for your PowerPoint presentations. Upload your presentations to MightyMeeting, tag them for easy retrieval, and deliver your presentations through your Droid. You can invite others to see your presentation and edit it, too. 7. Astrid
This clean, easy-to-use to do list is a classic. Astrid, which is free, offers you reminders, checklists, tagging, and priority setting functions. You can backup your lists to RemembertheMilk.com, a free online to-do list application. 6. Spreadsheet
This versatile, XLS-compatible spreadsheet gives you 100 spreadsheet functions. They include searching, sorting, and formatting. You can also view, edit, and send attachments through other applications like Gmail. 5. AK Notepad
Take notes on your smartphone, make to-do lists, and put up reminder alarms with this easy-to-use notepad. You can email or SMS your note, as well as search notes by title. Simple, fast, and often indispensable. 4. mShare
mShare is where FTP and chat meet mobile. The app lets you transfer or exchange files to and from your computer and other mobile devices. It also works for any size file, as well as contacts and data storage. 3. GDocs
GDocs lets you take your Google docs anywhere. Create or upload your documents on Google Docs, then review them in micro format on your Droid phone. 2. Documents to Go
View and edit your Microsoft Office documents, PowerPoint included, through this $30 app, which also does PDF. The free version will do Word and Excel only. 1. Locale
Source: Business Pundit | 22 Feb 2010 | 11:34 am Paging Eliot SpitzerHigh-class brothel Mayflower Hotel is celebrating its 85th birthday. And what better way to honor the occasion than by giving the girl what she wants-- another sex scandal! Eliot Spitzer- if you're listening, and have time on your hands:
Source: Dealbreaker | 22 Feb 2010 | 11:18 am Clarification of Millipore and Thermo Fisher (MIL, TMO, PLL)It was just a while ago that Millipore Corp. (NYSE: MIL) exploded upwards and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) saw a significant drop. The reason was a “merger agreement” being cited, but Bloomberg clarified this as Thermo Fisher making an unsolicited takeover offer for about $6 billion. It was classified as “according to a [...][[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Source: 24/7 Wall St. | 22 Feb 2010 | 11:08 am Empty bank gives rise to financial artBefore a Washington Mutual branch was demolished in Dallas, two local curators put up a financially-themed art show in the building. Christina Rees, one of the curators, talks with Kai Ryssdal about how it all came together.Source: Marketplace | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:52 am Credit card biz shift: Penalties to perksThe credit card industry has lost an estimated $150 billion since the recession began, as people have defaulted on their debt and cut back on card use. Now the industry is catering to a new consumer. Stacey Vanek-Smith reports.Source: Marketplace | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:51 am Digging up the real costs of coalJournalist Jeff Biggers talks with Kai Ryssdal about his book, "Reckoning at Eagle Creek," the myth of clean coal, and why it's the new tobacco.Source: Marketplace | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:51 am U.K. heats up over fuel paymentThe U.K. is looking for ways to cut spending, and one candidate has emerged. Thousands of U.K. citizens who retired to live in sunny, European locations are still receiving a special government payout to help keep them warm. Stephen Beard reports.Source: Marketplace | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:51 am Auto recalls a matter of negotiationRecently released documents show Toyota bragging about how much it saved when its floor mat problem was classified as an equipment recall. Some say the beleaguered carmaker is trying to downplay the issue. Alisa Roth reports it's just business as usual.Source: Marketplace | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:51 am Industries turn back on health reformHealth insurers and pharmaceutical companies were both early supporters of the Obama administration's health reforms. Now, not so much. John Dimsdale reports.Source: Marketplace | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:51 am How do health insurers set premiums?President Obama has unveiled his health care plan, and one part of his proposal would let the government block or roll back excessive increases in premiums. Nancy Marshall Genzer reports.Source: Marketplace | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:51 am Cody Willard Wants To Make You Rich
Source: Dealbreaker | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:44 am Is 'Excessive Optimism' the New Irrational Exuberance?By Jacob Goldstein It sounds like a nice problem to have: Everybody in the world wants to give you money. But when foreign investors rush into a developing country, they can drive local prices rise to crazy heights. Bubbles like that make messes when they pop. In other words, some IMF economists said in a report published Friday: Concerns that foreign investors may be subject to herd behavior, and suffer from excessive optimism, have grown stronger; and even when flows are fundamentally sound, it is recognized that they may contribute to collateral damage, including bubbles and asset booms and busts. Countries that want to reduce the risk of this sort of problem have some options. They can make rules limiting loans from foreign investors, or tax investments that come into the country from overseas. These sorts of moves have long been discouraged by IMF economists. Back in the '90s, the Economist notes, the IMF wanted the authority to push for more open flows of money into and out of countries. The new IMF paper, though, says restrictions on investments by foreigners can be helpful in certain circumstances. The evidence from the latest crisis is not entirely clear. But it looks like these sorts of rules may help some economies weather turbulent times, the authors say. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us Source: NPR Blogs: Planet Money | 22 Feb 2010 | 10:18 am Peter Hessler: Bloomberg On the Economy With Tom KeeneSource: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 22 Feb 2010 | 9:54 am Nomura’s Sheard: Surveillance With Prewitt and KeeneSource: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 22 Feb 2010 | 9:52 am Arthur Levitt: Surveillance With Prewitt and KeeneSource: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 22 Feb 2010 | 9:51 am Nightingale on Stocks, Farris on Currencies: First WordSource: Bloomberg - All Podcasts | 22 Feb 2010 | 7:52 am The Placebo Effect Works on Products, Too
“People sometimes feel the effect of product consumption almost instantaneously—within an unrealistically short time after consumption,” writes author David Faro (London Business School). “Such placebo-like effects are typically attributed to conditioning, wishful thinking, or expectations about product efficacy. The present research shows such effects can also occur because, under some conditions, people are prone to underestimate the time-to-onset of products they have used in the past.” In one of the author’s experiments, participants first listened to music and later took part in a creativity task. Half of the participants were then told the music they had listened to earlier enhanced creativity; the rest were not given that information. “When asked to recollect the amount of time that elapsed between listening to music and the creativity task, the first group thought that the time was significantly shorter,” Faro writes. “Hence, even though both groups had (on average) the same experience with the music and with the creativity task, believing that the two things were related made participants connect them more closely in time.” In a second experiment, participants first chewed a stick of gum and then took part in an attention-related task. Later in the study they were told that chewing gum increases attention. In that case, participants who considered only the gum as a cause for increased attention gave shorter estimates of time-to-onset than other participants who also considered another contributing cause: practice with the task. On a later occasion, the participants said they experienced the gum’s effect earlier and they were less interested in trying a competing product. “These experiments show that our recollections of how long products took to have an effect on us when we have used them in the past are intertwined with our beliefs in their causal role,” the author concludes. The effect this study describes is commonly used, although perhaps unproven in a lab up to this point. The government frequently engineers the very reaction the study describes. They push through various programs, like Cash for Clunkers, then emphasize the beneficial effect of those programs later, putting a spin on voters’ collective memories. All that’s missing is a name for this technique.
Source: Business Pundit | 22 Feb 2010 | 7:51 am How to Make Networking WorkThe Harvard Business Review has a good article on how to make networking work for you. Among their tips: The most universally agreed upon networking tip is this: Offer to help others first, and they will return the favor. “You should always ask new contacts to tell you about a business challenge they are confronting,” says Dr. Ivan Misner, PhD, lead author of Networking Like a Pro: Turning Contacts into Connections, and chairman of global networking organization BNI International. “That way, you might know someone who can help, and that’s the start of a relationship.” Networking well makes for a brighter future, so Misner advises people to think beyond a current need. “People tend to forget about the importance of long-term credibility because they’re so focused on making an immediate sale,” Misner says. “But with that approach, you only eat what you kill that day.” Focus on becoming known and trusted instead; a long-lasting relationship is more beneficial to both parties. Lillian Bjorseth, author of Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last, reminds her clients to share information. “One of my favorite follow-up methods is to send someone a relevant article, photo, anecdote, marketing tip, or other resource via email,” she says. Follow-through on seemingly unimportant promises or casual conversations can be just as integral to business success as delivering a reliable product. Read more here. The article suggests that trading business cards is relatively meaningless, while cultivating your contacts is where the real action happens. This is essential, useful stuff.
Source: Business Pundit | 22 Feb 2010 | 7:47 am Who's the New Guy?By Jacob Goldstein Hello, and welcome to NPR's Planet Money. I'm Jacob Goldstein, and the Planet Money crew just hired me to be your new blogger. Until very recently, I wrote the Wall Street Journal's Health Blog. I came to Planet Money because I think the project is genius: Using a fresh, smart sensibility to explain complex economic ideas in simple terms. I'll be writing a lot about the biggies -- the recession, China, Bernanke, etc. -- in a way I hope you'll find both approachable and illuminating. There will be some random, quirky blog items to keep things lively. And I'll be digging into Planet Money's Question of the Year: Why are poor countries poor and rich countries rich? The blog should always be a work in progress; please let me know what you want to read about, who you want me to interview and what you think about what I'm writing. A little more about me: I've worked as a reporter at the Miami Herald and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, a backcountry instructor for juvenile delinquents in Montana, and a producer at an Internet startup in San Francisco. I live in Brooklyn with my wife. We rent. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Source: NPR Blogs: Planet Money | 22 Feb 2010 | 6:52 am Always be Ready for a…What?
Source: Business Pundit | 22 Feb 2010 | 4:40 am
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