AnalyzeThisBusiness: September 2006 Archives

« August 2006 | Main | October 2006 »

Sep30	Microsoft Vs. The Euros? John Palmer September 30, 2006 Know More: Bad News, Bad News, Business Musings, Competition, Government Interference, Know-It-All Politicians, Shortsighted Strategies, Trends, Troubling News? 2.0, Troubling News? If you think running a business in the US and elsewhere are that different, you might want to reconsider. Two U.S. software firms are asking the European Commission to take action against Microsoft’s new Vista operating system, the Wall Street Journal reported... If it hasn't already, this sets an interesting precedent. Continue Reading Posted at 4:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep30	GM Alliance In Question John Palmer September 30, 2006 All eyes are on Detroit - via Paris - these days. This is a big deal, but a complicated one. General Motors toughened its public stance on proposals that the U.S. carmaker join an alliance with Renault and its sister... Continue Reading Posted at 1:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jobless Claims Increase John Palmer September 30, 2006 These latest numbers are raising some eyebrows. The number of newly laid-off workers filing for unemployment benefits rose last week by the largest amount since early August, providing further evidence that economy has slowed. Some pundits are seeing this as... Continue Reading Posted at 10:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep29	Fuel Price Drop Spurs Consumer Confidence John Palmer September 29, 2006 This should come as no surprise. Falling gasoline prices helped ease American shoppers’ worries in September, sending a gauge of consumer sentiment higher than analysts expected. The thickness of a person's wallet is directly connected to their mindset.... Continue Reading Posted at 5:44 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Corporate Financial Leaders Feel Good About Economy John Palmer September 29, 2006 I'm thinking of all the "experts", we might want to listen to these folks above the rest. Most financial executives expect the pace of U.S. growth in the second half of 2006 to hold steady, according to the latest survey... Continue Reading Posted at 3:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Ford Not Looking To Spin Off Euro Brands...Yet John Palmer September 29, 2006 Looks like the number 2 US carmaker's future is still a definate maybe. Ford Motor Co said on Wednesday that none of its European premium brand car businesses was for sale at this stage except Aston Martin, but added it... Continue Reading Posted at 9:25 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep28	Foreign Companies Employing Less US Workers John Palmer September 28, 2006 This is another one of those stories that has a number of angles to it. Though outsourcing of jobs to other nations has stirred a political uproar, a slide in the number of U.S. workers on foreign companies’ payrolls has... Continue Reading Posted at 12:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	More Delphi Employees Leaving: 70% Gone By 2007. John Palmer September 28, 2006 You almost don't know what to say as the news just keeps on coming. Another 1,400 hourly workers have decided to accept auto supplier Delphi Corp.’s buyout offers, meaning that the struggling company will lose more than 70 percent of... Continue Reading Posted at 11:43 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Durable Goods Orders Drop For 2nd Consecutive Month John Palmer September 28, 2006 This is another case where it makes sense to look inside the numbers. Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods fell for a second consecutive month in August, marking the first back-to-back declines in more than two years. There... Continue Reading Posted at 10:42 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Credit Card Late Payments Surge During Spring John Palmer September 28, 2006 At first blush this may not seem like a business issue, but then again, it's consumers financial health we're talking about. Late payments on credit card bills edged up this past spring, when high energy prices were squeezing the finances... Continue Reading Posted at 7:45 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep27	Yahoo Forces Holiday Vacations On Employees John Palmer September 27, 2006 It looks like even the seemingly invincible have belts that need to be tightened. Yahoo Inc. plans to close its U.S. offices during the final week of the year, a cost-cutting measure that will require most of the Internet icon’s... Continue Reading Posted at 7:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Auto Manufacturers Troubles Hurt Suppliers John Palmer September 27, 2006 This is bad news all around. Auto parts maker BorgWarner Inc. Friday said it would slash 13 percent of its North American work force and cut its 2006 earnings forecast, becoming the latest U.S. supplier to warn that a slump... Continue Reading Posted at 8:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep26	Judge Opens Door For Cigarette Maker Lawsuit John Palmer September 26, 2006 As a former smoker, I still don't understand this. In a blow to Big Tobacco, a federal judge on Monday granted class action status to tens of millions of “light cigarette” smokers for a potential $200 billion lawsuit against cigarette... Continue Reading Posted at 10:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	E. Coli Scare Hits California Growers Hard John Palmer September 26, 2006 This is an unfortunate incident. In addition to the human life lost, it's already having a significant impact on businesses and families in the region. Farmers in the self-proclaimed “Salad Bowl to the World” started plowing their spinach crops under and... Continue Reading Posted at 1:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep25	Wal-Mart To Offer Lower Prescription Drug Prices In Florida John Palmer September 25, 2006 For a big company, these guys respond to market pressures, and they can't be ignored. Wal-Mart plans to begin selling nearly 300 generic prescription drugs for a sharply reduced price, offering a big lure for bargain-seeking customers and presenting a... Continue Reading Posted at 7:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Survey Of CEO's Enlightening John Palmer September 25, 2006 If you always wondered what the view from the top was like, this might be of interest. A survey by Business Roundtable released Monday showed that executive expectations for sales, capital spending and employment — while all decent — are... Continue Reading Posted at 6:31 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Rising Consumer Price Index Slows John Palmer September 25, 2006 This has ramafications in a number of sectors, including that all important one - the pocketbook sector. Consumer inflation slowed sharply last month as energy prices moderated, brightening prospects for future economic growth. Will the continued moderation in energy prices make... Continue Reading Posted at 5:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Trade Deficit Worries John Palmer September 25, 2006 Not that this is a big surprise, but it is still is cause for concern. America’s deficit in the broadest measure of foreign trade increased in the spring to the second highest level in history, reflecting a big jump in... Continue Reading Posted at 4:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Predicting Holiday Shopping Sales John Palmer September 25, 2006 The economic forecast looks pretty good, but apparently not good enough for some. Holiday sales are expected to rise, though at a slower rate than last year as consumers fret about the declining housing market, according to a National Retail... Continue Reading Posted at 2:59 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Troubling Housing News? John Palmer September 25, 2006 These numbers are worse than expected. The pace of U.S. home building fell more sharply than expected in August as builders broke ground on new homes at the slowest rate since April 2003, a government report showed on Tuesday. But again, it's... Continue Reading Posted at 11:18 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep23	Hedge Fund Loses Billions In Investor Money John Palmer September 23, 2006 There's only one thing that's worse than making a bad decision and having it bite you in the backside... Amaranth Advisors LLC, the Connecticut hedge fund that lost billions of dollars in natural gas trades in recent weeks, on Wednesday... Continue Reading Posted at 8:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep22	Daimler Chrysler News: "Unacceptable" John Palmer September 22, 2006 This is not what anyone wanted to hear. DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche was surprisingly frank in a presentation Tuesday to European analysts and investors. He called Chrysler's expected $1.5 billion loss this quarter "unacceptable." But if you read between the... Continue Reading Posted at 11:23 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep21	Link Between Stocks And Housing? John Palmer September 21, 2006 This is another fascinating look at the complexities of our economy and investing. The question: If real estate tanks, will stocks follow? Or will the market ignore housing? Or maybe — just maybe — will a decline in housing trigger... Continue Reading Posted at 3:52 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep20	McDonald's vs. Denny's? John Palmer September 20, 2006 Ever find yourself in the drivethru after an early morning meeting with a taste for breakfast, but it's 6 minutes too late? Well, according to this, you may be in luck. McDonald’s Corp. may soon offer its breakfast menu all... Continue Reading Posted at 4:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Rupurt Murdoch, China, MySpace And The Future John Palmer September 20, 2006 This is an interesting philosophy from an interesting source. Rupert Murdoch told an investor conference Tuesday that he didn’t see a need to distribute programming or other media content from his News Corp. conglomerate through Internet portals. How much is posturing... Continue Reading Posted at 3:49 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Good News For Oracle: Software Battle Looming? John Palmer September 20, 2006 This looks like good news. But there appear to be clouds gathering on the horizon. Oracle Corp. posted a quarterly profit on Tuesday that topped Wall Street’s estimates, as new business software license revenue rose, sending its share price up... Continue Reading Posted at 11:36 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep19	Airliner Safety Issues John Palmer September 19, 2006 This article left me with as many questions as I had before. Maybe more. U.S. passenger and cargo airlines Tuesday sought to stop, or at least change, a Federal Aviation Administration proposal to overhaul management of structural fatigue in older... Continue Reading Posted at 10:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Economic Numbers Looking Good John Palmer September 19, 2006 All indicators continue to signal ongoing economic health. Prices at the wholesale level edged up modestly in August, providing further evidence that inflation pressures are easing. That's good news all around. Here the details.... Continue Reading Posted at 3:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep16	Higher Than Expected Import Prices John Palmer September 16, 2006 No doubt fuel prices played a significant role in these latest numbers. U.S. import prices rose by a more-than-expected 0.8 percent in August and the cost of nonpetroleum imports climbed 0.5 percent as well, government data showed on Thursday, hinting... Continue Reading Posted at 9:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep15	Industrial Production Numbers In John Palmer September 15, 2006 Is this another case of mixed signals? Output at U.S. factories, mines and utilities fell unexpectedly by 0.1 percent in August as utilities production declined with cooler weather, a Federal Reserve report showed on Friday. The experts, studies and statistics... Continue Reading Posted at 4:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep14	New Uses For Ethanol? John Palmer September 14, 2006 Now, this is intriguing. Now that ethanol has become common in gas tanks, two Iowa State University professors are working to get it into martini glasses. The professors are researching how to easily, and cheaply, turn fuel ethanol into food-grade... Continue Reading Posted at 7:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep13	Oil Refinery Buyout John Palmer September 13, 2006 Looks like the oil industry has itself another merger. A Texas oil company said Monday it is buying Scottsdale-based gas refiner and retailer Giant Industries for an estimated $1.5 billion in cash and debt assumption. So is this good news... Continue Reading Posted at 1:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep11	"Drive-By Downloads"? John Palmer September 11, 2006 This just sucks every way possible. Great article by Herb Weisbaum. Imagine this. You get on your computer and log onto the Internet. Out of nowhere, a pop-up window appears, demanding that you pay for a service you don’t want... Continue Reading Posted at 4:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pension Funds Undergo Overhaul John Palmer September 11, 2006 Pensions may not be what they once were, but they're still important. President Bush.....signed new rules to prod companies into shoring up their pension plans and offered strong words for corporate America: “Set aside enough money now.” Some companies may... Continue Reading Posted at 8:12 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep10	Fewer Bankruptcy Filings John Palmer September 10, 2006 It's a fairly well-known truth: Don't give incentives for an activity and you'll get less of it. Case and point. Bankruptcy filings fell more than 9 percent in the last year and reached the lowest level in about five years,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:25 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 9	Inside The Latest HP Numbers John Palmer September 9, 2006 So far, this looks good. Hewlett-Packard Co. beat Wall Street’s expectations Wednesday, when the computer maker reported that fiscal third-quarter profit surged on strong printer and laptop sales. The company’s shares gained more than 5 percent in after-hours trading. But... Continue Reading Posted at 1:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 7	Sears Profits, K-Mart Margins Up John Palmer September 7, 2006 Sears' 2Q business revenues were down, but profitability was up, so Wall Street ended up happy. Sears Holding Corp., the nation's third-largest retailer, reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings on Thursday, due to improved margins at Kmart and domestic Sears operations. So... Continue Reading Posted at 8:21 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 6	Costco Grows, Just Slower Than Expected John Palmer September 6, 2006 The speculators are 'tsk-tsking' at the news, but it's still good. Costco Wholesale Corp. said Wednesday it expects fourth-quarter profit to be below analysts’ estimates, as sales on items like jewelry and furniture slowed and the company struggled with higher... Continue Reading Posted at 4:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	US Fisheries Face Dilemma: Regulation Or Centralization John Palmer September 6, 2006 If you have some time, this is a great article about the fishing industry. Kudos to Aaron Pressman from BusinessWeekOnline. Some 4,000 miles to the southeast, Maine fisherman Craig Pendleton, 46, is spending much of the summer sitting in a... Continue Reading Posted at 1:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Starbucks Forced To Unionize John Palmer September 6, 2006 The threat of legal action can move mountains. Or coffee beans anyway. The union representing Starbucks Corp. workers said Wednesday that employees of a Chicago store have declared their membership, becoming the first unionized employees outside New York City of... Continue Reading Posted at 9:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 5	Wal-Mart Changing With The Times? John Palmer September 5, 2006 In an effort to make further inroads into additional markets, Wal-Mart is getting a little uppity. Wal-Mart Stores has apparently decided that everyday low prices in small-town America [will] only take you so far. In an effort to kick-start... Continue Reading Posted at 10:26 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 4	Gateway Rejects Buyout Of Retail Unit from #2 Stockholder John Palmer September 4, 2006 This news makes me wonder what's really up here. Gateway Inc., the No. 3 PC-maker in the U.S., said Friday it will reject the unsolicited $450 million offer for its retail business from the founder of eMachines Inc., Lap Shun... Continue Reading Posted at 3:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Orders For Commercial Aircraft Down John Palmer September 4, 2006 These numbers are not good news for the commercial aircraft industry, but the rest of the numbers are looking ok. Orders to American factories fell in July by the largest amount in three months, reflecting a sharp drop in demand... Continue Reading Posted at 11:34 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Healthy August Consumer Spending Bolsters Economists John Palmer September 4, 2006 It bolstered the economy too, but since the economists are the one who lead either the cheers or the cat calls, I guess they're important too. Here's the news from AP. Shoppers persevered at the nation’s stores and malls in... Continue Reading Posted at 10:49 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 3	Manufacturing Sector Slowly Growing John Palmer September 3, 2006 The manufacturing side of the economy is still growing, but slower than it has been. The nation’s manufacturing sector expanded in August at a slower clip than in July amid rising commodity prices, a trade group said Friday. Again, the... Continue Reading Posted at 7:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Spending By The Construction Industry Drops Again John Palmer September 3, 2006 These numbers continue to show evidence of the cooling housing market. The Commerce Department reported Friday that construction activity dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.20 trillion in July, down 1.2 percent from the June level. It was... Continue Reading Posted at 1:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Chinese IPod Manufacturer Ordered To Set Up Union John Palmer September 3, 2006 China may be a burgeoning economic powerhouse, but there are still some issues of concern. A Chinese supplier of Apple Computer's iPod embroiled in a dispute over its labor policies has been told to let its more than 200,000 workers... Continue Reading Posted at 8:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 2	Imports From Canada To Pay New Fees John Palmer September 2, 2006 Friends are friends - until the bottom line is affected. Our neighbors to the North are not too happy. A U.S. Department of Agriculture plan to levy new fees on air travelers and commercial shipments from Canada is a nonsensical,... Continue Reading Posted at 1:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Minority Buying Power Is Changing John Palmer September 2, 2006 This is an extremely important business issue, although the social ramifications are significant - and emotional. Hispanics will outpace blacks as the most powerful minority consumers in the country next year, according to a new study from the University of... Continue Reading Posted at 1:08 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Radio Shack E-mails Pink Slips John Palmer September 2, 2006 This should be fodder for at least a couple of TV or movie producers. Way to go. RadioShack Corp. followed through this week on its announced plans to cut about 400 jobs, but the electronics retailer is under fire for... Continue Reading Posted at 12:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 1	Gasoline Prices Continue To Fall John Palmer September 1, 2006 I'm surprised there's not been a weather-related phenomenon due to a collective sigh of relief this holiday weekend. It's been a long time coming. "This is the first time I think in recent memory that I have ever seen gasoline prices... Continue Reading Posted at 10:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Unemployment Numbers Move Downward John Palmer September 1, 2006 Sometimes I'm amazed with the response - or in this case, lack of response - by people and the media. These numbers are nearly historic. “Goldilocks may be coming. The economy is not too hot nor too cold,” Carl Tannenbaum,... Continue Reading Posted at 2:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Auto Industry Sales Figures John Palmer September 1, 2006 Trends in the auto industry continue. Toyota reported a 17 percent rise in its U.S. sales in August, while GM sales increased 3.9 percent from a year ago as the companies said buyers looked to more fuel-efficient offerings. But Ford’s... Continue Reading Posted at 12:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments

« August 2006 | Main | October 2006 »

Sep30	Microsoft Vs. The Euros? John Palmer September 30, 2006 Know More: Bad News, Bad News, Business Musings, Competition, Government Interference, Know-It-All Politicians, Shortsighted Strategies, Trends, Troubling News? 2.0, Troubling News? If you think running a business in the US and elsewhere are that different, you might want to reconsider. Two U.S. software firms are asking the European Commission to take action against Microsoft’s new Vista operating system, the Wall Street Journal reported... If it hasn't already, this sets an interesting precedent. Continue Reading Posted at 4:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep30	GM Alliance In Question John Palmer September 30, 2006 All eyes are on Detroit - via Paris - these days. This is a big deal, but a complicated one. General Motors toughened its public stance on proposals that the U.S. carmaker join an alliance with Renault and its sister... Continue Reading Posted at 1:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Jobless Claims Increase John Palmer September 30, 2006 These latest numbers are raising some eyebrows. The number of newly laid-off workers filing for unemployment benefits rose last week by the largest amount since early August, providing further evidence that economy has slowed. Some pundits are seeing this as... Continue Reading Posted at 10:30 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep29	Fuel Price Drop Spurs Consumer Confidence John Palmer September 29, 2006 This should come as no surprise. Falling gasoline prices helped ease American shoppers’ worries in September, sending a gauge of consumer sentiment higher than analysts expected. The thickness of a person's wallet is directly connected to their mindset.... Continue Reading Posted at 5:44 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Corporate Financial Leaders Feel Good About Economy John Palmer September 29, 2006 I'm thinking of all the "experts", we might want to listen to these folks above the rest. Most financial executives expect the pace of U.S. growth in the second half of 2006 to hold steady, according to the latest survey... Continue Reading Posted at 3:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Ford Not Looking To Spin Off Euro Brands...Yet John Palmer September 29, 2006 Looks like the number 2 US carmaker's future is still a definate maybe. Ford Motor Co said on Wednesday that none of its European premium brand car businesses was for sale at this stage except Aston Martin, but added it... Continue Reading Posted at 9:25 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep28	Foreign Companies Employing Less US Workers John Palmer September 28, 2006 This is another one of those stories that has a number of angles to it. Though outsourcing of jobs to other nations has stirred a political uproar, a slide in the number of U.S. workers on foreign companies’ payrolls has... Continue Reading Posted at 12:37 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	More Delphi Employees Leaving: 70% Gone By 2007. John Palmer September 28, 2006 You almost don't know what to say as the news just keeps on coming. Another 1,400 hourly workers have decided to accept auto supplier Delphi Corp.’s buyout offers, meaning that the struggling company will lose more than 70 percent of... Continue Reading Posted at 11:43 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Durable Goods Orders Drop For 2nd Consecutive Month John Palmer September 28, 2006 This is another case where it makes sense to look inside the numbers. Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods fell for a second consecutive month in August, marking the first back-to-back declines in more than two years. There... Continue Reading Posted at 10:42 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Credit Card Late Payments Surge During Spring John Palmer September 28, 2006 At first blush this may not seem like a business issue, but then again, it's consumers financial health we're talking about. Late payments on credit card bills edged up this past spring, when high energy prices were squeezing the finances... Continue Reading Posted at 7:45 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep27	Yahoo Forces Holiday Vacations On Employees John Palmer September 27, 2006 It looks like even the seemingly invincible have belts that need to be tightened. Yahoo Inc. plans to close its U.S. offices during the final week of the year, a cost-cutting measure that will require most of the Internet icon’s... Continue Reading Posted at 7:23 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Auto Manufacturers Troubles Hurt Suppliers John Palmer September 27, 2006 This is bad news all around. Auto parts maker BorgWarner Inc. Friday said it would slash 13 percent of its North American work force and cut its 2006 earnings forecast, becoming the latest U.S. supplier to warn that a slump... Continue Reading Posted at 8:05 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep26	Judge Opens Door For Cigarette Maker Lawsuit John Palmer September 26, 2006 As a former smoker, I still don't understand this. In a blow to Big Tobacco, a federal judge on Monday granted class action status to tens of millions of “light cigarette” smokers for a potential $200 billion lawsuit against cigarette... Continue Reading Posted at 10:45 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	E. Coli Scare Hits California Growers Hard John Palmer September 26, 2006 This is an unfortunate incident. In addition to the human life lost, it's already having a significant impact on businesses and families in the region. Farmers in the self-proclaimed “Salad Bowl to the World” started plowing their spinach crops under and... Continue Reading Posted at 1:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep25	Wal-Mart To Offer Lower Prescription Drug Prices In Florida John Palmer September 25, 2006 For a big company, these guys respond to market pressures, and they can't be ignored. Wal-Mart plans to begin selling nearly 300 generic prescription drugs for a sharply reduced price, offering a big lure for bargain-seeking customers and presenting a... Continue Reading Posted at 7:07 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Survey Of CEO's Enlightening John Palmer September 25, 2006 If you always wondered what the view from the top was like, this might be of interest. A survey by Business Roundtable released Monday showed that executive expectations for sales, capital spending and employment — while all decent — are... Continue Reading Posted at 6:31 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Rising Consumer Price Index Slows John Palmer September 25, 2006 This has ramafications in a number of sectors, including that all important one - the pocketbook sector. Consumer inflation slowed sharply last month as energy prices moderated, brightening prospects for future economic growth. Will the continued moderation in energy prices make... Continue Reading Posted at 5:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Trade Deficit Worries John Palmer September 25, 2006 Not that this is a big surprise, but it is still is cause for concern. America’s deficit in the broadest measure of foreign trade increased in the spring to the second highest level in history, reflecting a big jump in... Continue Reading Posted at 4:29 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Predicting Holiday Shopping Sales John Palmer September 25, 2006 The economic forecast looks pretty good, but apparently not good enough for some. Holiday sales are expected to rise, though at a slower rate than last year as consumers fret about the declining housing market, according to a National Retail... Continue Reading Posted at 2:59 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Troubling Housing News? John Palmer September 25, 2006 These numbers are worse than expected. The pace of U.S. home building fell more sharply than expected in August as builders broke ground on new homes at the slowest rate since April 2003, a government report showed on Tuesday. But again, it's... Continue Reading Posted at 11:18 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep23	Hedge Fund Loses Billions In Investor Money John Palmer September 23, 2006 There's only one thing that's worse than making a bad decision and having it bite you in the backside... Amaranth Advisors LLC, the Connecticut hedge fund that lost billions of dollars in natural gas trades in recent weeks, on Wednesday... Continue Reading Posted at 8:16 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep22	Daimler Chrysler News: "Unacceptable" John Palmer September 22, 2006 This is not what anyone wanted to hear. DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche was surprisingly frank in a presentation Tuesday to European analysts and investors. He called Chrysler's expected $1.5 billion loss this quarter "unacceptable." But if you read between the... Continue Reading Posted at 11:23 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep21	Link Between Stocks And Housing? John Palmer September 21, 2006 This is another fascinating look at the complexities of our economy and investing. The question: If real estate tanks, will stocks follow? Or will the market ignore housing? Or maybe — just maybe — will a decline in housing trigger... Continue Reading Posted at 3:52 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep20	McDonald's vs. Denny's? John Palmer September 20, 2006 Ever find yourself in the drivethru after an early morning meeting with a taste for breakfast, but it's 6 minutes too late? Well, according to this, you may be in luck. McDonald’s Corp. may soon offer its breakfast menu all... Continue Reading Posted at 4:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Rupurt Murdoch, China, MySpace And The Future John Palmer September 20, 2006 This is an interesting philosophy from an interesting source. Rupert Murdoch told an investor conference Tuesday that he didn’t see a need to distribute programming or other media content from his News Corp. conglomerate through Internet portals. How much is posturing... Continue Reading Posted at 3:49 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Good News For Oracle: Software Battle Looming? John Palmer September 20, 2006 This looks like good news. But there appear to be clouds gathering on the horizon. Oracle Corp. posted a quarterly profit on Tuesday that topped Wall Street’s estimates, as new business software license revenue rose, sending its share price up... Continue Reading Posted at 11:36 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep19	Airliner Safety Issues John Palmer September 19, 2006 This article left me with as many questions as I had before. Maybe more. U.S. passenger and cargo airlines Tuesday sought to stop, or at least change, a Federal Aviation Administration proposal to overhaul management of structural fatigue in older... Continue Reading Posted at 10:27 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Economic Numbers Looking Good John Palmer September 19, 2006 All indicators continue to signal ongoing economic health. Prices at the wholesale level edged up modestly in August, providing further evidence that inflation pressures are easing. That's good news all around. Here the details.... Continue Reading Posted at 3:47 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep16	Higher Than Expected Import Prices John Palmer September 16, 2006 No doubt fuel prices played a significant role in these latest numbers. U.S. import prices rose by a more-than-expected 0.8 percent in August and the cost of nonpetroleum imports climbed 0.5 percent as well, government data showed on Thursday, hinting... Continue Reading Posted at 9:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep15	Industrial Production Numbers In John Palmer September 15, 2006 Is this another case of mixed signals? Output at U.S. factories, mines and utilities fell unexpectedly by 0.1 percent in August as utilities production declined with cooler weather, a Federal Reserve report showed on Friday. The experts, studies and statistics... Continue Reading Posted at 4:03 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep14	New Uses For Ethanol? John Palmer September 14, 2006 Now, this is intriguing. Now that ethanol has become common in gas tanks, two Iowa State University professors are working to get it into martini glasses. The professors are researching how to easily, and cheaply, turn fuel ethanol into food-grade... Continue Reading Posted at 7:55 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep13	Oil Refinery Buyout John Palmer September 13, 2006 Looks like the oil industry has itself another merger. A Texas oil company said Monday it is buying Scottsdale-based gas refiner and retailer Giant Industries for an estimated $1.5 billion in cash and debt assumption. So is this good news... Continue Reading Posted at 1:26 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep11	"Drive-By Downloads"? John Palmer September 11, 2006 This just sucks every way possible. Great article by Herb Weisbaum. Imagine this. You get on your computer and log onto the Internet. Out of nowhere, a pop-up window appears, demanding that you pay for a service you don’t want... Continue Reading Posted at 4:41 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Pension Funds Undergo Overhaul John Palmer September 11, 2006 Pensions may not be what they once were, but they're still important. President Bush.....signed new rules to prod companies into shoring up their pension plans and offered strong words for corporate America: “Set aside enough money now.” Some companies may... Continue Reading Posted at 8:12 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep10	Fewer Bankruptcy Filings John Palmer September 10, 2006 It's a fairly well-known truth: Don't give incentives for an activity and you'll get less of it. Case and point. Bankruptcy filings fell more than 9 percent in the last year and reached the lowest level in about five years,... Continue Reading Posted at 7:25 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 9	Inside The Latest HP Numbers John Palmer September 9, 2006 So far, this looks good. Hewlett-Packard Co. beat Wall Street’s expectations Wednesday, when the computer maker reported that fiscal third-quarter profit surged on strong printer and laptop sales. The company’s shares gained more than 5 percent in after-hours trading. But... Continue Reading Posted at 1:12 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 7	Sears Profits, K-Mart Margins Up John Palmer September 7, 2006 Sears' 2Q business revenues were down, but profitability was up, so Wall Street ended up happy. Sears Holding Corp., the nation's third-largest retailer, reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings on Thursday, due to improved margins at Kmart and domestic Sears operations. So... Continue Reading Posted at 8:21 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 6	Costco Grows, Just Slower Than Expected John Palmer September 6, 2006 The speculators are 'tsk-tsking' at the news, but it's still good. Costco Wholesale Corp. said Wednesday it expects fourth-quarter profit to be below analysts’ estimates, as sales on items like jewelry and furniture slowed and the company struggled with higher... Continue Reading Posted at 4:20 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	US Fisheries Face Dilemma: Regulation Or Centralization John Palmer September 6, 2006 If you have some time, this is a great article about the fishing industry. Kudos to Aaron Pressman from BusinessWeekOnline. Some 4,000 miles to the southeast, Maine fisherman Craig Pendleton, 46, is spending much of the summer sitting in a... Continue Reading Posted at 1:18 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Starbucks Forced To Unionize John Palmer September 6, 2006 The threat of legal action can move mountains. Or coffee beans anyway. The union representing Starbucks Corp. workers said Wednesday that employees of a Chicago store have declared their membership, becoming the first unionized employees outside New York City of... Continue Reading Posted at 9:46 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 5	Wal-Mart Changing With The Times? John Palmer September 5, 2006 In an effort to make further inroads into additional markets, Wal-Mart is getting a little uppity. Wal-Mart Stores has apparently decided that everyday low prices in small-town America [will] only take you so far. In an effort to kick-start... Continue Reading Posted at 10:26 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 4	Gateway Rejects Buyout Of Retail Unit from #2 Stockholder John Palmer September 4, 2006 This news makes me wonder what's really up here. Gateway Inc., the No. 3 PC-maker in the U.S., said Friday it will reject the unsolicited $450 million offer for its retail business from the founder of eMachines Inc., Lap Shun... Continue Reading Posted at 3:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Orders For Commercial Aircraft Down John Palmer September 4, 2006 These numbers are not good news for the commercial aircraft industry, but the rest of the numbers are looking ok. Orders to American factories fell in July by the largest amount in three months, reflecting a sharp drop in demand... Continue Reading Posted at 11:34 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Healthy August Consumer Spending Bolsters Economists John Palmer September 4, 2006 It bolstered the economy too, but since the economists are the one who lead either the cheers or the cat calls, I guess they're important too. Here's the news from AP. Shoppers persevered at the nation’s stores and malls in... Continue Reading Posted at 10:49 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 3	Manufacturing Sector Slowly Growing John Palmer September 3, 2006 The manufacturing side of the economy is still growing, but slower than it has been. The nation’s manufacturing sector expanded in August at a slower clip than in July amid rising commodity prices, a trade group said Friday. Again, the... Continue Reading Posted at 7:48 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Spending By The Construction Industry Drops Again John Palmer September 3, 2006 These numbers continue to show evidence of the cooling housing market. The Commerce Department reported Friday that construction activity dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.20 trillion in July, down 1.2 percent from the June level. It was... Continue Reading Posted at 1:11 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Chinese IPod Manufacturer Ordered To Set Up Union John Palmer September 3, 2006 China may be a burgeoning economic powerhouse, but there are still some issues of concern. A Chinese supplier of Apple Computer's iPod embroiled in a dispute over its labor policies has been told to let its more than 200,000 workers... Continue Reading Posted at 8:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 2	Imports From Canada To Pay New Fees John Palmer September 2, 2006 Friends are friends - until the bottom line is affected. Our neighbors to the North are not too happy. A U.S. Department of Agriculture plan to levy new fees on air travelers and commercial shipments from Canada is a nonsensical,... Continue Reading Posted at 1:51 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Minority Buying Power Is Changing John Palmer September 2, 2006 This is an extremely important business issue, although the social ramifications are significant - and emotional. Hispanics will outpace blacks as the most powerful minority consumers in the country next year, according to a new study from the University of... Continue Reading Posted at 1:08 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Radio Shack E-mails Pink Slips John Palmer September 2, 2006 This should be fodder for at least a couple of TV or movie producers. Way to go. RadioShack Corp. followed through this week on its announced plans to cut about 400 jobs, but the electronics retailer is under fire for... Continue Reading Posted at 12:22 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
Sep 1	Gasoline Prices Continue To Fall John Palmer September 1, 2006 I'm surprised there's not been a weather-related phenomenon due to a collective sigh of relief this holiday weekend. It's been a long time coming. "This is the first time I think in recent memory that I have ever seen gasoline prices... Continue Reading Posted at 10:21 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Unemployment Numbers Move Downward John Palmer September 1, 2006 Sometimes I'm amazed with the response - or in this case, lack of response - by people and the media. These numbers are nearly historic. “Goldilocks may be coming. The economy is not too hot nor too cold,” Carl Tannenbaum,... Continue Reading Posted at 2:33 PM \| Permalink \| Comments
	Auto Industry Sales Figures John Palmer September 1, 2006 Trends in the auto industry continue. Toyota reported a 17 percent rise in its U.S. sales in August, while GM sales increased 3.9 percent from a year ago as the companies said buyers looked to more fuel-efficient offerings. But Ford’s... Continue Reading Posted at 12:19 PM \| Permalink \| Comments

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