Businesses feel the U.S. government shutdown
Two days into the partial U.S. government shutdown, the media began to chronicle the effects being felt by various businesses. While it’s early to tell the full economic repercussions of the continued shuttering of government services, those with contracts are already feeling the pinch. The Wall Street Journal had this story: The partial shutdown of […]
Merck cuts staff and R&D
Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. is cutting jobs and research in a move that will likely hurt innovation and drugs. As revenue declines across the industry, companies are looking for ways to increase the bottom line. Reuters had this story: Merck & Co, taking a cue from rival drugmakers that have slashed research spending to […]
Markets react to potential shutdown
At the time of this writing, a U.S. government shutdown seemed likely. Global market certainly reacted as if that were the case on Monday, posting losses. While investors and traders tried to figure out the potential outcome, some were jittery about the pending debt ceiling debate. Here is the Reuters story: U.S. stocks closed lower […]
Looking at coverage of the new health care law
As a government shutdown looms and politicians fight over funding the new health care law, news outlets are picking up their coverage since Tuesday brings the beginning of insurance marketplaces. The New York Times wrote a piece called “On the Threshold of Obamacare, Warily,” looking at some of the decisions people must weigh as they […]
Wal-Mart vs. Bloomberg News
Wal-Mart is cutting inventory according to a story by Bloomberg, sending the company’s stock price down. But are they? Wal-Mart denied the story, making it hard to decipher the truth. Here’s the beginning of the Bloomberg piece that started all the uproar: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) is cutting orders it places with suppliers this quarter and […]
Fannie Mae tries to win investors
Bond investors have another sale to weigh as Fannie Mae is planning an offering. According to The Wall Street Journal, the securities will get their value from a pool of mortgages the company acquired in 2012, spreading the risk of default to bondholders. The Journal had this story: Fannie Mae is planning a bond deal […]
High-speed traders’ advantages
Talking about high-speed trading may be complicated, meaning that much of the coverage is done by larger news outlets and not picked up in local business news. But it’s important for investors and day traders looking to make quick money to understand how the markets work and when they might be at a disadvantage. On […]
Chrysler files for IPO
Chrysler Group filed for an initial public offering on Monday after its majority owner and employee union couldn’t reach a valuation. Fiat would like to own the company outright, but needs to placate the union in order to do so. Here’s the Wall Street Journal story. Chrysler Group LLC Monday filed for an initial public […]
Blackberry still trying to stay relevant
Blackberry is struggling to stay relevant as it loses ground to Apple and other smartphones, especially in the business market where it once held a near monopoly. Covering a businesses reinvention is always interesting, especially as the technology company struggles to keep customers. Often once customers make the switch, they don’t want to come back. […]
Health exchanges hit some snags
As we get closer to the Oct. 1 deadline for the launch of health exchanges, a key part of President Obama’s health care reform law, there seem to be several issues that still need to be worked out. One of the stories in today’s Wall Street Journal coverage was about a computer glitch making it […]
