MAJOR PAPERS:

• UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) is launching an initiative to reduce proprietary risk taking by its investment banking division, the Financial Times reported. In an internal memo, UBS CEO Marcel Rohner wrote that the bank would cut by 50% the number of its employees in its real estate and securitization division, and move its troubled mortgage investments into a separate unit.

• The UK Times reported that British music company EMI Group PLC (OTC: EMIPY) has made a bid for Chrysalis, one of Britain's last big independent music companies.
• Student loan giant SLM Corporation (NYSE: SLM), also known as Sallie Mae, said it would lay off 350 employees, or about 3% of its workers, the Washington Post said.
• France Telecom (NYSE: FTE) CEO Didier Lombard said sales of Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone device are going better than expected in France, the Associated Press reported.

Newspaper wrap-up: Sallie Mae to cut 3% of employees originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Billboard.biz

Rolling Stones join DRM-free market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

EMI and Apple stocks grow since DRM announcement originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 23 May 2007 09:30:00 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:

• Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) and online services company Salesforce.com Inc (NYSE: CRM) may form a partnership to better compete with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), reported the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
  

• The U.K. Times reported that Warner Music Group Corporation (NYSE: WMG) is expected to offer EMI Group (OTC: EMIPY) a "£100 million sweetener" to try and keep the company from accepting an offer from private equity.
• According to The Observer, Royal Bank of Scotland (OTC: RBSPY), along with its partners Fortis and Banco Santander Central Hispano (NYSE: STD), hope to "table" a £47 billion offer for ABN Amro Holdings (NYSE: ABN) this week.
• The Observer reported that a private equity consortium is considering a $15 billion offer for Virgin Media Inc (NASDAQ: VMED).
• Cadbury Schweppes ADS (NYSE: CSG) is planning to return £5 billion to shareholders through a special dividend or share buyback, according to The Observer.
• The Sunday Telegraph reported that UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) will offer to buy out the pension schemes of some of the leading FTSE100 companies next week.
• Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) may be looking to acquire British social networking site Bebo, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
• The Bollywood film producer, Eros International, is expected to announce a partnership with Google Inc's (NASDAQ: GOOG) YouTube, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited's (NASDAQ: TEVA) Copaxone will face generic competition for the first time, but will not see an impact immediately, Ha'aretz reported.

• The Orange County Register blog looked at a transcript from IndyMac Bancorp Inc's (NYSE: IMB) first quarter conference call, where the CEO Michael Perry said: "When you see that delinquency number in the press of 13% subprime delinquencies, it's hugely understated. It is absolutely hugely understated. And the prime delinquencies are overstated. The subprime delinquencies are more like 18, 20, 22% delinquencies and that's where I think you're going to see the problems."

Newspaper wrap-up 5-21-07: Google may form partnership with Salesforce.com originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 21 May 2007 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The 19.4B sale of Clear Channel Communications Inc (NYSE: CCU) to Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners is expected to proceed quickly as major shareholders Highfields Capital Management and Fidelity Investments are expected to agree to a new proposal raising the sale bid by 20 cents to $39.20 a share, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• Last month stent implants in the U.S. fell 15% to 71,200 from April 2006, signaling that they may no longer be a strong growth area for the medical industry, reported the Wall Street Journal.
• A new EU law that would slash the roaming charges for mobile phone calls by Europeans when they are traveling on the continent is expected to cut into the profits of companies including Vodafone Group (NYSE: VOD), France Telecom ADS (NYSE: FTE), and Telefonica SA ADS (NYSE: TEF) , reported the Financial Times.

• EMI Group (OTC: EMIPY) has opened its books to rival Warner Music Group (WMG), setting up a four-way bidding war, reported The Business.
• New explorations by PetroChina Company Limited's (NYSE: PTR) parent company, China National Petroleum Corp, have found that the Jidong Nanpu Oilfield in Bohai Bay may have more reserves than previously estimated, reported China Daily.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-17-07: Clear Channel buyout expected to go through quickly originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 May 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported that Clear Channel Communications Inc (NYSE: CCU) has said "no" to a new offer from Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital Partners to buy the company, saying shareholders had no interest.
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that One Equity, a private equity firm affiliated with JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM), has approached EMI Group (OTC: EMIPY) about a takeover which could value the British music company at more than $6B, according to sources.

• The New York Post has learned that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) has asked Yahoo Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) to re-enter formal negotiations.
• The New York Post has learned that Westwood One Inc (NYSE: WON) has hired UBS to help identify potential buyers as the company anticipates putting itself up for sale next month.

• A ChangeWave survey of 3,489 people revealed that 9% of the respondents are likely to buy the Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone when it comes out in June, reported Seeking Alpha.
• According to CNBC Champ Thomas Ko on MSN Money, IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX) should benefit from what he anticipates will be a record opening for Spider-Man 3.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-4-07: Microsoft looking at buying Yahoo again originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 04 May 2007 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that a number of firms have been eyeing Kroger Co (NYSE: KR) on the expectation that the company will soon begin exploring a leveraged buyout with the help of investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS).

• The New York Post reported that Warner Music Group Corp (NYSE: WMG) may look to merge with EMI Group plc ADR (OTC: EMIPY) by appealing directly to the music labels shareholders.
• According to the Sunday Express, Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) is set to receive a bid of $52-$58 per share, valuing the company at $50B, from a consortium of Middle Eastern investors and American buyout firms.
• The U.K. Telegraph reported that the Royal Bank of Scotland is preparing to delay any rival offer for ABN Amro Holdings (NYSE: ABN) until after Barclays plc ADS (NYSE: BCS) reveals its bid for the company.
• From BusinessWeek's "Inside Wall Street" section:
• Oppenheimer oil guru Fadel Gheit says rumors have resurfaced that Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) may go after oil and gas company Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE: DVN).
• Napco Security Systems Inc (NASDAQ: NSSC) is hoping GatewayX, a new product introduced in January, will spark a rebound.
• Seed and crop-protection company Syngenta AG ADS (NYSE: SYT) looks to have upside ahead, due to brisk demand for corn to make ethanol is boosting farmers' need for Syngenta's products to fight field pests.

Newspaper wrap-up 4-9-07: Kroger in play? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Apr 2007 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that New Century Financial Corporation (OTC: NEWC) is expected to announce as soon as today that it is filing for bankruptcy projection.
• The Wall Street Journal reported that EMI Group plc (OTC: EMIPY) will hold a special media event on Monday with Apple Inc's (NASDAQ: AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs as its special guest, fueling speculation that EMI will sell music without anti-piracy software.
• The Financial Times reported that the U.S. and South Korea said they had agreed on the terms of a landmark free trade deal which will boost trade by as much as $20B a year.
• The Financial Times reported that French stock market regulators are looking into unusual share price movements in France Telecom ADS (NYSE: FTE) and a few other CAC40 stocks, as there is concern that unknown forces could be profiting from false rumors and speculation in the stocks.

• The U.K. Times has learned that GlaxoSmithKline plc ADR (NYSE: GSK) is in talks with the World Health Organization, or WHO, over a proposal for a subsidized mass avian flu vaccine for developing countries.

• According to an internal memo obtained by SUSE-IRC.org, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is in talks to acquire Novell Inc (NASDAQ: NOVL).

Newspaper wrap-up 4-2-07: EMI to hold media event with Apple's Steve Jobs today originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Major Papers:

• According to the Wall Street Journal, General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM) is considering acquiring DaimlerChrysler's (NYSE: DCX) Chrysler Group, but the company would face massive challenges if it were to take over its longtime rival. People familiar with the matter say GM has not ruled out the idea, however.
• Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) launched a new bundle of services targeted at corporations, but CEO Eric Schmidt said the company is not looking to go "head to head" with Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT), the Wall Street Journal reported.
• Barron's Online's "Inside Scoop" column wrote that Encore Acquisition Co. (NYSE: EAC) chairman Jon Brumley bought 40,000 shares of the company for $988,000. "Obviously," Brumley said, "we think the stock is going to move higher."
• The Financial Times reported that Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) has bought out its local partner in India, JM, for $445M to up its presence in Asia.
• The Financial Times also reported that EMI Group (OTC: EMIPY) is also exploring alternatives to Warner Music Group Corp.'s (NYSE: WMG) $6B takeover bid for the company. According to people familiar with the matter, no offers appear imminent.

• Investor's Business Daily's "New America" column focused on online business Bankrate Inc. (NASDAQ: RATE). The company is established, credible, its brand name is known, it has no debt and it has over $100M on its balance sheet.

Newspaper wrap-up 2-22-07: GM considering acquisition of Chrysler Group originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 22 Feb 2007 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), four months after acquiring YouTube, Google Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) is struggling to find allies in the television business.
• The Journal's "Heard on the Street" column focused on Mylan Labs (NYSE: MYL), which it said could have "room to run" depending on a key court battle with Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) which it may learn the results of any day.
• According to the online edition of Barron's (subscription required), the Street isn't giving enough credit to GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK), which has an industry-leading pipeline and profits poised to increase in 2008.
• The Financial Times (subscription required) reported that Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE: WMT) is pressuring its suppliers to better represent women and minorities on the teams that handle Wal-Mart's business.
• The Financial Times also reported that Warner Music Group (NYSE: WMG) has made peace with independent record labels, which could clear the way for the company to make a $6B bid for EMI Corp (OTC: EMIPY).

• Investor's Business Daily's "New America" column mentioned Sina Corp (NASDAQ: SINA) positively, saying Sina is the top search engine in China, beating both Google Inc and Yahoo Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO). With e-commerce gaining momentum in the country with a larger population than any other, Sina and analysts have very high hopes for increasing advertising sales in the next two years.

Newspaper wrap-up 2-21-07: Wal-Mart pushing employee diversity originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.