MAJOR PAPERS:

• Barron's Online's (subscription required) "Inside Scoop" column reported that Adobe Systems (NASDAQ: ADBE) founder and co-chairman John Warnock sold 25K shares for $1.1M last week, according to SEC data.
• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, last night said that while the housing market will continue to be a "significant drag" on the U.S. economy next year, strong income growth has kept consumer spending steady.

• Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) told Congressional investigators that it has provided customers' telephone records to federal authorities in emergency cases without court orders hundreds of times since 2005, reported the Washington Post.
• Ad agency WPP Group (NASDAQ: WPPGY) is in final negotiations to acquire Blast Radius, an Internet agency, reported the U.K. Times.
• Smith & Nephew (NYSE: SNN) is being investigated by the SEC on bribery allegations, according to the U.K. Times.
• Activist investor Knight Vinke is attacking HSBC (NYSE: HBC) once again, according to the U.K. Times.

• DigiTimes.com reported that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE: TSM) has denied a report by the Ottawa Citizen which speculated that Taiwan Semi was seeking to acquire Canadian design house Emerging Memory Technologies, saying the rumors were false.
• TechCrunch.com reported that Napster (NASDAQ: NAPS) is switching from its desktop client to a fully web based client, enabling users to listen to their music from any computer after logging into the service.

Newspaper wrap-up: Bernanke calls housing a 'significant drag' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Paul Tudor Jones runs some of the best managed hedge funds anywhere, averaging over a 24% annual return over the last 20 years, but last month they reported heavy losses, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) is speaking with wireless operators , such as T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, as well as phone manufacturers about carrying their products.
• The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is expected to fine Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) a total of $6.1M for alleged overcharging of customers on bond sales totaling $59M, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• Barron's "Inside Scoop" section reported that Andrew J. McKelvey, who stepped down as Monster Worldwide Inc's (NASDAQ: MNST) chairman and CEO last October, has sold 1.27M shares for $48.6M on the open market since Friday, according to SEC data.

• Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO) is reportedly joining with private-equity partner GTCR Golder Rauner to buy food-crafting company Wilton Industries and paint-by-number specialist Dimension Holdings, reported the New York Post.

• According to DigiTimes.com, Taiwan component suppliers for the iPhone have said they are not seeing any reduction in orders from Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL).

Newspaper wrap-up 8-2-07: Martha Stewart making acquisitions originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to DigiTimes, Taiwan's Chinese-language Commercial Times says that Taiwan's Wintek has gained the touch-screen panel orders for the second-gen iPhone. The report claims that Wintek has already begun test production in small volumes with Apple intent on selling their newest model of the iPhone in September for somewhere between $249 and $299.

If this is true, it would certainly make sense. Apple introduced the iPod in the fall of 2001, and soon followed up with smaller and cheaper versions of the wildly popular device. You can now choose from the fifth-generation iPod, which plays video, the smaller Nano, and the even smaller Shuffle. (If I remember correctly, there was a Mini available at one point too.) Each model is regularly upgraded, with increased memory and sometimes lower prices. And the array of iPods appeals to just about any consumer; you can spend $399 for an 80 gigabyte audio iPod or $79 for a 1 gig Shuffle. As a result, just about everyone can afford an iPod -- and Apple sales reflect this broad appeal. So it should come as no surprise that the company is using the same approach with the iPhone.

Other related recent rumors:
New iPods to be iPhones without the phone
Apple patent produces JP Morgan analyst debate

Cheaper, smaller iPhone may be on the way originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Barron's Online's (subscription required) "Inside Scoop" section reported that Thomas Everist, an MDU Resources Group (NYSE: MDU) board member since 1995, has sold a total of 742K shares for a total of $22.6M in MDU stock since May 2, according SEC data.
• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that EMI Group (OTC: EMIPY), the third largest music company by sales agreed to sell to Terra Firma Capital Partners for $4.74B, possibly ending its seven year battle with Warner Music Group Corp (NYSE: WMG).

• According to the New York Post, citing people familiar with the situation, the weakening housing market and other issues are making it difficult for Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD) to sell its professional supply business.
• Discovery Communications is in talks with CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS) to sell half its Discovery Times channel and form a joint-venture partnership, according to sources close with the situation, reported the Washington Post.

• According to an NDP Group report, April sales of Nintendo's (OTC: NTDOY) Wii consoles were almost 3.5 times higher than Sony Corporation's (NYSE: SNE) PlayStation 3, reported DigiTimes.com.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-22-07: Home Depot having trouble selling unit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 22 May 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT) is helping to bring eBay Inc's (NASDAQ: EBAY) Skype "to the masses," by selling Skype Internet calling phone gear in the electronics section of its stores.
• The Wall Street Journal's "BreakingViews" section speculated that a merger between General Electric Company's (NYSE: GE) NBC and Yahoo Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) would "make industrial sense."
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that the Bancroft family, which control a majority of the voting shares of Dow Jones and Company Inc (NYSE: DJ), is split over the idea of meeting with News Corporation (NYSE: NWS) Chairman Rupert Murdoch to discuss his $5B offer for Dow Jones.
• The Financial Times reported that Internet jewelry retailer Blue Nile Inc (NASDAQ: NILE) is launching operations in Europe.

• According to the Sunday Telegraph, Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) has hired Morgan Stanley to help defend itself in the event of an unsolicited takeover approach.
• The Sunday Telegraph reported that Clear Channel Communications Inc (NYSE: CCU) is expected to put its international poster business up for sale for as much as $3.2B.
• The Telegraph reported that rival groups are looking to stop Alcoa Inc's (NYSE: AA) hostile bid for Canadian aluminum producer Alcan Inc (NYSE: AL).
• The Economic Times reported that Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) is in talks with "leading Indian business houses including the Tatas," according to sources.
  

• DigiTimes.com reported that the ATI Radeon HD that was just introduced by Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NYSE: AMD) has fallen short of expectations in terms of price, performance and energy efficiency.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-14-07: Wal-Mart pushing Skype originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 14 May 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to people familiar with the matter, at least three groups of private-equity companies have formed to attempt to purchase wireless carrier Alltel Corporation (NYSE: AT), reported the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
• The Wall Street Journal's "Heard in Asia" column reported that in order for Sony Corporation's (NYSE: SNE) stock to rise when it reports next week, it is going to have to convince investors that its PlayStation unit is showing improvement.
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that almost half of the senior management at Citigroup Inc's (NYSE: C) consumer operations have quit in the last 18 months, as criticism of CEO Chuck Prince has grown.

• According to the Telegraph, Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) and BP plc ADS's (NYSE: BP) Russian joint venture, TNK-BP, are expected to join the auction for the 537-petrol station network belonging to Yukos. The bidding is expected to start at GBP150M.
• GlaxoSmithKline plc ADR (NYSE: GSK) has begun to promote Alli, the first weight-loss drug to be approved by the FDA for over-the-counter sale, reported the New York Times.

• According to DigiTimes.com, citing industry insiders, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE: TSM) is looking to up production of Intel Corporation's (NADSAQ: INTC) 802.11n Wi-Fi chips at 0.13-micron in Q3, a sign of closer collaboration between the two companies.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-9-07: Private equity looking at Alltel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 May 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) has launched a new, free Web-based email, called Windows Live Hotmail, available in 36 different languages.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that House lawmakers will challenge a deal made by House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank and the U.S. Treasury to overhaul the supervision of Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE: FRE).
• The Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street" column wrote that investors are betting that dealmaking is not done in commodities, with United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) and Alcoa Inc (NYSE: AA) among those that could receive takeover offers.
• The Financial Times (subscription required) "Alphaville" section reported that Arcelor-Mittal (NYSE: MT) is looking at AK Steel Holding Corporation (NYSE: AKS), with a offer of as mush as $40 a share.

• The New York Times reported, citing investigators, that Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is preparing to acknowledge that it should have known kickbacks were being paid to Saddam Hussein on oil the company bought in Iraq.

• DigiTimes.com reported that Aruba Networks Inc (NASDAQ: ARUN) CEO Dominic Orr said that the company is expecting to nearly double its share in the global enterprise mobility solution market in 2008 from 10%-12% to around 20%.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-8-07: Arcelor-Mittal eyeing AK Steel originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 May 2007 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that the UAW and representatives of Kirk Kerkorian, which made a $4.5B proposal for DaimlerChrysler AGs (NYSE: DCX) Chrysler unit, met to discuss the potential of an employee stock ownership plan and other alternatives to a takeover of the struggling automaker.
• A $25B deal to take SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), known as Sallie Mae, private will most likely remain under the scrutiny of a federal regulator, reported the Wall Street Journal.

• The Washington Post reported that the FDA knew years in advance about contamination problems at a Georgia peanut butter plant and on California spinach farms that led to disease outbreaks, documents and interviews show.
• According to an examination by the San Jose Mercury News, a criminal case against Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs in the stock-options backdating investigation looks unlikely.
• According to Cinco Dias, Gottschalks Inc (NYSE: GOT) has hired UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) to explore options of a possible sale or a merger.

• Digitimes.com reported that Koninklijke Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG) has decided to withdraw from the Taiwan handset market.

Newspaper wrap-up 4-23-07: Criminal case against Steve Jobs unlikely originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 23 Apr 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is about to purchase 13 hotels from All Nippon Airways for about $1.2B, doubling the number of hotels the investment bank owns there, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• The Financial Times reported that Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) announced it would delay shipping its new Leopard operating system until October, due to the summer launch of its iPhone.

• According to the New York Times, citing people briefed on the discussions, Sallie Mae (NYSE: SLM) is in talks to be acquired by private equity for more than $20B.
• The Guardian reported that exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky is planning the "violent overthrow of [Russian] President Putin".
• The New York Post reported that Dubai is looking at buying Jones Apparel Group Inc's (NYSE: JNY) Barneys New York for $950M. Contrary to previous reports, the suitor is not linked to Qatar's royal family, but is Istithmar, a private equity firm owned by the Dubai government.

• According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple has plans to release new iPods with Wi-Fi, reported DigiTimes.com.

Newspaper wrap-up 4-13-07: Happy Friday the 13th! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Apr 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that the list of advertisers defecting from Don Imus's morning TV show on General Electric Company's (NYSE: GE) and Microsoft Corporation's (NASDAQ: MSFT) MSNBC is growing, resulting in NBC Universal pulling the show off the air immediately.

• Sources involved with the process reported that Viacom Inc's (NYSE: VIA) music publishing catalog Famous Music is attracting a lot of interest from major music labels to former music executives backed by private-equity, reported the New York Post.
• France's Thales and American aerospace giant Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) are reportedly looking to make a joint bid for a new $31.7B contract to supply the British Army with 3,000 new medium-weight armored vehicles, reported The Business.
• The Independent reported that scientists have discovered a technique for "pain-free, highly effective chemotherapy," a huge breakthrough in cancer treatment.

• DigiTimes.com reported, citing industry sources, that Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation has lowered its DRAM spot prices almost 15% due to fierce price competition, but the sources noted that the low prices have not been able to stimulate demand in the DRAM market.

Newspaper wrap-up 4-12-07: MSNBC pulls plug on Imus originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that the Nasdaq Stock Market Inc (NASDAQ: NDAQ) is in talks to buy the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, the third largest options exchange in the U.S.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that Kirk Kerkorian wasn't invited to meet this week with DaimlerChrysler AG (NYSE: DCX) as it gets together with bidders for its Chrysler unit.
• Also in the Wall Street Journal, Xstrata will sell its aluminum unit to Apollo Management for $1.5B, higher than expected.

• According to the New York Post, citing sources familiar with the matter, the private-equity firms that bought out Clear Channel Communications Inc (NYSE: CCU), Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital, are weighing their options as they wait for a "crucial" shareholder vote on the deal, which will come next week.

• According to Barron's Online's "Inside Scoop" column, Carl Icahn's investment groups reported that in the last two weeks they have increased their Motorola Inc (NYSE: MOT) holdings to 69.1M shares, or a 2.9% stake, from 64.9M shares, or a 2.7% stake.
• DigiTimes.com reported that Samsung is reportedly switching capacity from DRAM back to NAND flash.

Newspaper wrap-up 4-11-07: Nasdaq in talks with Philadelphia Stock Exchange originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) Steve Jobs helped to negotiate a Pixar employment pact with a film director that included an options grant with a "well-timed date". Also featured in the Journal:
  
• EMI Group plc (OTC: EMIPY) has been holding talks with online retailers over the possibility of selling its entire digital music catalog in an unprotected MP3 format.
• Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS) is expected to raise as much as $19B for its newest private-equity fund.
  
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) broadened corruption inquiries and has identified individual incidents of apparent bribery.

• According to the Detroit News, DaimlerChrysler AG (NYSE: DCX) is expected to eliminate about 1,000 salaried jobs in Michigan.
  
• Asian IT website DigiTimes.com reported that Samsung introduced the Ultra Smart F700 yesterday. The phone is being referred to as a possible "iPhone Killer."
• In Investor's Business Daily, ViaSat Inc (NASDAQ: VSAT) was mentioned positively in the "New America" column.

Newspaper wrap-up 2-9-07: Samsung to challenge Apple iPhone originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.