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Not long ago, news that Groupon had spurned Google’s $6 billion takeover bid was released and I couldn’t help but thinking that maybe Groupon had succumbed to pop-star diva mentality, where everyone except you and the flatterers you surround yourself with know that your future at the top is shaky at best. Later reports suggested [...]
Most analysts had expected a big quarter for Apple, propelled by big holiday sales numbers. They were right; they just didn’t go high enough with their estimates. Apple reported revenue of $26.7 billion for its first-quarter which ended on December 25th. (The company uses a fiscal year for its earnings and reporting.) That’s earnings of [...]
IBM reported its 2010 third-quarter earnings today. The company reported earnings per share of $2.82 which is up 18 percent. The company did not announce any increase in the dividend paid per share, although that was not unexpected. The company continues to use share buybacks as the primary method to "return money to shareholders." The [...]
The November jobs report came in worse than predicted. Recent reports suggesting that consumers were spending more money and that first-time unemployment claims were dropping suggested that the Great Recession might be coming to an end in 2010. Alas, the jobs report shatters that idea for the short-term. A recovery without new jobs isn’t worth [...]
Continue reading about Unemployment Report Bad News for 2011 Economy Recovery
Throughout the financial crisis and subsequent bailout of the U.S. banking system, the issue has been one of Wall Street versus Main Street. That is, the idea that greedy bankers, investment bankers, and Wall Street traders duped unsophisticated Americans into mortgages that they could not afford and then left them hanging when things went bad. [...]
Continue reading about 2011 Outlook for Banks and Mortgage Companies
Republicans Win House, Democrats Keep Senate – Gridlock? Traditionally, Wall Street and big business have favored gridlock in Washington D.C. The idea is that when Republicans and Democrats are busy fighting each other, they can’t be changing the laws and regulations that businesses already know. Theoretically, any currently successful business already knows how to earn [...]
Continue reading about What Does the Election Mean for the Economy?
The huge government bailout of banks during the height of the banking crisis was the cause of much concern and hand wringing. Among political types, the debate centered around the theoretical concepts of whether or not the government should be involved in propping up banks and whether or not such involvement constituted something “socialist.” Whenever [...]
Continue reading about Government Making Profit From Bank Bailout?