The study showed that unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy rates didn't change when compared to June. In areas where the workforces are dependent upon agriculture, mining, wholesale trade, and finance, the economic stress eased. Unfortunately, retail and real estate employees saw higher distress during July. The study shows that roughly 54% of the 3,141 counties in the U.S. saw economic stress decline (24 of the 50 states).

Continue reading Economic Struggles Continued in July

Economic Struggles Continued in July originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Yahoo! and AP Reach Licensing Deal; AP Sighs Breath of Relief

Yahoo! and AP Reach Licensing Deal; AP Sighs Breath of Relief originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Associated Press puts bloggers on notice

Associated Press puts bloggers on notice originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to the Wall Street Journal's (subscription required) "Heard on the Street" column, content firms such as Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ: AKAM) and Limelight Networks (NASDAQ: LLNW) are getting hammered, and there appears to be no letup in sight because while online traffic is up 60% a year over the last few years, those firm's shares are expensive and, says S&P's Scott Kessler, "There's plenty more room for [Akamai and Limelight] to fall."
• TiVo (NASDAQ: TIVO) is looking at a new revenue source -- being paid to give out market research to advertisers, reported the Wall Street Journal. The company plans to announce today that it will add demographic data, including age, income, marital status and ethnicity, about its viewers.
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that Ford (NYSE: F) is likely to have to pay any buyer of its Jaguar and Land Rover units because of a $2B pension deficit, according to people close to the situation.

• The New York Times reported that Con Edison (NYSE: ED) was fined $18M for service disruptions in 2006, including the nine-day blackout in western Queens, NY.
• The Associated Press reported that Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) is considering listing on the Hong Kong and mainland China stock markets, according to the company's CEO.

Newspaper wrap-up: Baidu considering listing in Asia originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Nasdaq Stock Market (NASDAQ: NDAQ) will acquire the Philadelphia Stock Exchange for $652M, reported the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

• Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) announced yesterday that it fired Chief Information Officer Stuart L. Scott on Friday for violating company policies, although the company did not specify an exact reason for the dismissal, reported the Associated Press.
• Laurence Fink, the chairman and CEO of BlackRock (NYSE: BLK), has met with the executive search firm responsible for filling the CEO vacancy at Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER). Fink is believed to be the leading candidate to become Merrill's CEO, according to the New York Times.

• GigaOM reported that Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is kicking off its game-focused advertising initiative later this month, according to inside sources.

Newspaper wrap-up: Nasdaq to buy PHLX originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• According to the Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street," Frederick Cannon of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods says that Countrywide Financial Corporation (NYSE: CFC) stock will "underperform" the market, and that they haven't indicated that they can "earn above its cost of capital" especially when future mortgage losses are unclear.
• Last month Bear Stearns (NYSE: BSC) reported a 61% fall in third quarter earnings and chairman and CEO James Cayne has announced that 300 staffers are being laid off, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• As a result of banking reforms in Japan, JP Morgan Chase (NYSE: JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon says the bank is ready to make a significant acquisitions there, according to the Financial Times.

• Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) intends to close six unnamed plants that the UAW wants to remain open, and the company is willing to compromise if the UAW agrees to certain concessions, reported the Associated Press.
• On the heels of a strong third quarter, mall developer Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG) is in a buying mode, looking for troubled companies, reported the Indianapolis Star.

Newspaper wrap-up: Bear Stearns to lay off 300 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• If AT&T (NYSE: T) were to acquire EchoStar Communications (NASDAQ: DISH) or DirectTV Group (NYSE: DTV), it's estimated that it would cost between $30B and $40B, and that should concern investors, according to the Wall Street Journal's (subscription required) "Heard on the Street" column.
• Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) is signing up tens of thousands of new subscribers tor it FiOs high speed TV and Internet service, that uses fiber optics, according to the Wall Street Journal, and the push is threatening the cable industry.

• The New York Times reported that Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) reported another $2.9B in write-downs today.
• Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is expected to announce a partnership today with the Nielsen company for measuring how many people are viewing TV ads on a second-by-second basis, reported the New York Times.
• Carlos Ghosn, head of Nissan Motor Co (NASDAQ: NSANY) and Renault, continues to be interested in a partnership with a U.S. automaker, but says he 's not now speaking with anyone, reported the Associated Press.

Newspaper wrap-up: AT&T may be pursuing expensive acquisition originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) MySpace is investing heavily in games to go along with its successful music and video offerings, and beginning in January, thanks to a deal with games distributor Oberon, will offer hundreds of free "casual" games, reported the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
  
• The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg overturned a law that had been on the books in Germany since 1960 to prevent hostile foreign takeovers, reported the Wall Street Journal. The immediate result is expected to be a takeover attempt by Porsche, a 31% holder of Volkswagen (OTC: VLKAY) shares.

• Mobile Telecom company France Telecom (NYSE: FTE) is close to creating a joint venture for long distance operations in India with Indian optical storage manufacturer Moser Baer, reported the Economic Times.
• British financial services company HSBC Holdings (NYSE: HBC) is looking to sell Marbles, the online credit card business it acquired in 2003, reported the Independent.
• The first undersea telecommunications cable linking China and the U.S. -- called the Trans-Pacific Express -- has begun to be constructed, reports the Associated Press, and it's expected to be in place before the Beijing Olympics next July. Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) is involved and says the cable will be 11,000 miles long and cost about $500M.

Newspaper wrap-up: 'Volkswagen law' overturned originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• In an interview with the Financial Times (subscription required), Carl Icahn said of Motorola (NYSE: MOT): "There is value there, and if that value doesn't manifest itself, I as an activist, would think very seriously about coming back."

• Universal Music is in talks with Sony Corporation's (NYSE: SNE) Sony BMG and Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG) over launching a music subscription service to be called Total Music, which would be free on certain devices, reported the Telegraph.
• While Emerging Memory Technologies CEO Sreedhar Natarajan would not confirm the deal, stating "I'm under a non-disclosure agreement," it is clear that EMT has been acquired by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE: TSM), the Ottawa Citizen reported.
• Lehman Brothers analyst Douglas Anmuth believes Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) will launch a mobile phone similar to that of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone in February, reported the Independent.
• The Associated Press reported that Nomura Holdings (NYSE: NMR) announced that it will close its mortgage-backed securities business in the U.S., and expects a group pretax loss of between $240M and $510M for the quarter ended in September.

• According to Unstrung.com's sources in the finance community, Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) is expected to enter the WiMax arena before the end of the month, and Navini Networks is Cisco's preferred target.

Newspaper wrap-up: Icahn looking at Motorola originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) has agreed to pay penalties totaling $15M to end a Clean Air Act lawsuit brought by the Justice Department for the EPA, reported the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
• In 1992 Ecuador left OPEC, but this month is expected to rejoin the organization, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• Barron's Online's (subscription required) "Inside Scoop" section reported that Warren Buffett exercised call options to purchase 7.847M shares of Burlington Northern Santa Fe (NYSE: BNI).

• The UK is going to purchase 140 armored vehicles from Force Protection (NASDAQ: FRPT) for use in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Associated Press.
• India's Reliance Retail has won the exclusive marketing and distribution rights for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) stores in India. The first Apple-owned store in India is scheduled to open at the end of this month, reported the Economic Times.
• Independent movie studio Lions Gate Entertainment Corp (NYSE: LGF) has signed a partnership agreement with Mexican media conglomerate Grupo Televisa (NYSE: TV) to make movies and TV shows, and distribute Grupo's film library, reported the Los Angeles Times.

Newspaper wrap-up: Buffett increases stake in BNI originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Sprint Nextel Corporation's (NYSE: S) investors are unhappy, and led by the activist investor Ralph Whitworth, are voicing their displeasure with chairman and CEO Gary Forsee and the company's board, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• Merrill Lynch and Company (NYSE: MER) has fired several top executives as a result of the fallout from the credit crunch, The Financial Times reported.

• The Associated Press reported that members of the United Automobile Workers union at two General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) locals have approved the union's tentative contract agreement with GM, local union officials said Wednesday.
• Countrywide Financial Corporation (NYSE: CFC) has been ordered by a Delaware court to provide confidential information about its stock-granting practices to a Louisiana-based police pension fund that has invested in Countrywide, reported the Los Angeles Times.

• According to the Register, Alvarion Ltd (NASDAQ: ALVR) and Redline Performance Products (NASDAQ: REDL) are considered the most likely WiMAX companies to be acquired by Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), but Airspan Networks (NASDAQ: AIRN), Aperto, and Navini have also been mentioned as possible acquisitions for the Internet networking giant.
• CNet.com reported that Yahoo Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) is upgrading its e-mail system starting today with technology designed to block phishing, spam, and other fraudulent e-mails that look like they come from eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) and PayPal, but actually don't.

Newspaper wrap-up: Activist investor displeased with Sprint originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Oct 2007 09:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Singapore Airlines deal to buy 15.7% of China Eastern Airlines (NYSE: CEA), along with their parent Temasek Holding's 8.3% share, may be in jeopardy as Cathay Pacific Airways is said to also be interested in China Eastern, reported the Wall Street Journal.

• As a part of its annual report to be released this week, BHP Billiton Limited (NYSE: BHP) is expected to announce that it has uncovered potentially the largest gold reserves in the world at its South Australian Olympic Dam mine, reported the Herald Sun.
• According to the Washington Post, citing congressional investigators, the FBI is investigating technology company Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) after it allegedly failed to detect "cyber break-ins traced to a Chinese-language Web site and then tried to cover up its deficiencies."
• The Telegraph reported that British bank Barclays (NYSE: BCS) is reportedly preparing to sell FirstPlus, one of its subprime consumer loan units, at a loss. Barclays is expected to obtain a price lower than GBP4.5B, the book value of the unit's loan portfolio.
• Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) will tomorrow release its 'Halo 3' video game and the company expects over $150M in sales in the first 24 hours of its release, and a profit margin that could reach 90%, reported the Los Angeles Times.
• Housing slump or not, Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD) CEO Frank Blake says there will be no large jobs cuts or store closings, reported the Associated Press.

Newspaper wrap-up: FBI investigating Unisys originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 24 Sep 2007 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Barron's Online's (subscription required) "Weekday Trader Extra" reported that Wall Street is eyeing the negotiations of the First Data Corp (NYSE: FDC) buyout, as there has been talk that Kravis Roberts might be willing to make some concessions to a bank group arranging financing for the purchase.
• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that General Motors Corp (NYSE: GM) has sent the UAW two proposals as their negotiations are nearing the deadline.
• With near record high oil prices, there are signs that OPEC may increase crude output 2%, or 500,000 barrels a day, as a gesture to comfort oil markets, according to the Wall Street Journal.

• The Associated Press reported that EPR, a leftist guerrilla group, said they caused a number of explosions yesterday aimed at about six Mexican oil and gas pipelines, resulting in millions of dollars in lost production and unsettling financial markets.
• Countrywide Financial Corporation (NYSE: CFC) is reportedly working with Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) and a law firm to put together another multi-billion dollar bailout plan for Countrywide, the nation's largest home lender, reported the New York Post.
• Sir Martin Sorrell believes that WPP Group (NASDAQ: WPPGY), the company he has built and is currently the CEO of, is likely to appoint his successor from within the company, reported the Telegraph.

Newspaper wrap-up: OPEC may increase crude output originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"All the News That's Fit to Print" has run at the top of the front page of the New York Times for decades. But, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is taking that a step further. It will begin to run a breath-taking amount of news from the Press Association of Britain, Canadian Press, Agence France-Presse and the AP. Google has licensed the feeds and will run the entire stories from the sources. It solves a dispute it has had with some news agencies which claimed that Google was using their headlines to draw users without compensating them as the content holders.

It also changes the Google News model. Google will no longer just run headlines. The stories from these four sources will no longer show up when they run in other media. AP stories are currently picked up by Google, even when they run at AP's newspaper partners. This has sent traffic to a number of newspaper websites, and that will traffic flow is very likely to be undermined.

Google's ability to run entire stories will also allow it to sell advertising on these news pages. Google News is currently "ad free."

Continue reading Google (GOOG): All the news that fits

Google (GOOG): All the news that fits originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 01 Sep 2007 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Mattel Inc (NYSE: MAT) is expected to soon announce another recall of toys made in China, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• Merck and Co. Inc (NYSE: MRK) CFO Judy Lewent sold 200K shares for $10.3M from July 26 through Aug. 7, at an average price of $51.31 per share, reported Barron's Online's "Inside Scoop" column.
• The Royal Bank of Scotland (OTC: RBSPY)-led consortium seeking to purchase Dutch bank ABN Amro Holdings NV (NYSE: ABN) raised its stake in ABN to more than 3% between Friday and Monday, reported the Financial Times.

• The Independent reported that Barclays' (NYSE: BCS) bid for Dutch bank ABM Amro was approved by the Netherlands' Ministry of Finance yesterday.
• A highly publicized civilian nuclear deal with the U.S. still allows India to test nuclear weapons, according to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, reported the Associated Press.

Newspaper wrap-up: Mattel (MAT) to recall more toys originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Thanks to to the debt squeeze, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., for one, may have to put off its own IPO, reported the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
• About 75% of all McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) open at 5 a.m., and now the company wants that figure to be 100%, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• The production of biofuels is having a "material impact" on raw materials for food production, Kellogg Company (NYSE: K) CEO David Mackay said, reported the Financial Times (subscription required).

• Coca-Cola's (NYSE: KO) suit charging PepsiCo Inc (NYSE: PEP) with patent infringement related to a bag that dispenses syrup for fountain drinks was dismissed by a federal judge, reported the Associated Press.
• From BusinessWeek's "Inside Wall Street" column:
  
• Is Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) on the way back up? Georges Yared of Yared Investment Research, who started buying when shares hit $25, sees the stock snapping back.
• Sweden's Elekta, which trades in Stockholm, is drawing more attention from American investors.
• Where can one find an underpriced bank? Consider Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Spain's second-largest, which provides financial and investment services in Europe, the U.S., and Latin America.

Newspaper wrap-up 7-27-07: KKR may delay IPO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Bear Stearns Companies Inc (NYSE: BSC) says that its two hedge funds tied to subprime loans are basically worth nothing, reported the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
• An "error in judgment" is what Whole Foods Market Inc (NASDAQ: WFMI) chairman and CEO John Mackey called his anonymous blogging about his company and rival Wild Oats Markets Inc (NASDAQ: OATS) in an apology, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• SEC chairman Christopher Cox wants Congress to tighten its oversight of the $2.4T municipal bond market, the result of increasing complexities in the bond market and lax leadership at a number of firms, reported the Wall Street Journal.

• Kohlberg Kravis Roberts is planning to offer $24M to acquire Macy's Inc (NYSE: M), according to Women's Wear Daily (subscription required).
• The U.K. Times reported that Barclays plc (NYSE: BCS) has deided against raising its bid for ABN Amro Holdings (NYSE: ABN).
• Honda Motor Co. (NYSE: HMC) is increasing its production capacity in North America and in other places, in order to meet growing demand for its fuel-efficient cars and to maintain momentum for global growth, reported the Associated Press.

Newspaper wrap-up 7-18-07: Bear Stearns calls its two subprime hedge funds worthless originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel considers resigning

Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel considers resigning originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 18 Jun 2007 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Barron's Online's (subscription required) "Weekday Trader" wrote that NYC tax medallion financier and owner Medallion Financial Corp (NASDAQ: TAXI) is a play on the rising value of the New York City's taxi medallions, currently worth $600K each.
• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that General Electric Company's (NYSE: GE) NBC next week will use a 1950s standard, live advertisements, to keep viewers watching commercials in the age of digital video recorders.

• Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) will cut over 700 jobs at two Tennessee plants, reported the Associated Press.
• The U.K. Times has learned that food service company Sysco Corporation (NYSE: SYY) will bid for British food company Brake Bros, which has also drawn interest from Archie Norman and Blackstone.
• From BusinessWeek's "Inside Wall Street" section:
  
• Without belittling the challenge Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) faces from its bribery scandal, investors will now start paying attention to the company's earnings, according to Michael Hagmann of UBS.
  
• MCF Corporation (NYSE: MEM) is a small financial services operation with a cheap price, given its 50% annual growth rate, said Scott Potter of San Francisco Equity Partners.
  
• John Maloney, president of M&R Capital Management, sees National Bank of Greece (NYSE: NBG) benefiting from the booming economies of Southeastern Europe.

Newspaper wrap-up 6-08-07: NBC to play live ads originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Barron's Online's "Inside Scoop" column reported that Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) CEO John Hess recently bought more $1M worth of Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), and now directly owns 23,350 DOW shares.
• The Financial Times reported that the European Union is concerned that Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) may be skirting European privacy laws by keeping data on Internet searches for too long.

• The U.S. Navy awarded an $11.9M contract to Force Protection Inc (NASDAQ: FRPT) to build and deliver 14 next-generation armored vehicles, according to the Associated Press.
• From BusinessWeek's "Inside Wall Street" section:
  
• In spite of its problems, Amgen Inc (NASDAQ: AMGN) is a long-term value play, according to Joseph Battipaglia, chief investment officer at Ryan Beck's Washington Crossing Advisors unit.
• Bioenvision Inc (NASDAQ: BIVN) is attracting big investors because the company has teamed up with biotech biggie Genzyme Corporation (NASDAQ: GENZ) to develop clofarabine, a treatment for leukemia in children.
  
• Big truckers see YRC Worldwide Inc (NASDAQ: YRCW) as a tempting asset play with "compelling earnings power and potential value," according to Justin Yagerman of Wachovia Securities.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-25-07: Google being looked at by EU originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 25 May 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.