The biz magazine cover story as contrarian indicator

Mark Hulbert writes on Marketwatch about a study by some University of Virginia professors that assesses whether a company being on the cover of a major business magazine such as BusinessWeek, Forbes or Fortune means that it’s time to sell the stock. Hulbert wrote, “The professors analyzed those cover stories in Business Week, Fortune and […]

Investment News: What are Marketwatch readers thinking now?

An editorial in the latest issue of Investment News wonders whether readers of business news web site Marketwatch can trust its content in the wake of it allowing tech columnist Bambi Francisco to continue covering the industry when she was also starting her own tech company. Investment News wrote, “In the name of editorial integrity, […]

Slow progress in Dow Jones/union talks

The union representing business journalists at The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and Marketwatch says that its negotiations with parent company Dow Jones & Co. on Wednesday showed some progress, with the company offering a “slightly raised” wage offer. In an update posted on its web site, the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees local 1096 stated, […]

Portfolio trying to live up to the hype

Meanwhile, Marketwatch media columnist Jon Friedman argues that Conde Nast Portfolio will have to be impressive in its first issue if it hopes to live up to its hype. Friedman, who has visited the magazine’s offices twice in recent weeks, wrote, “Portfolio is, in a way, a victim of the modern media biz. Bloggers want […]

Dow Jones poised to buy Financial News?

The Telegraph newspaper in London is reporting that Dow Jones & Co., the parent of The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and Marketwatch, is near a deal to acquire the Financial News newspaper in that country. Ben Harrington wrote, “It is understood Dow Jones, which publishes The Wall Street Journal, is in advanced negotiations to acquire […]

Is Dow Jones stuck in a rut?

Crain’s New York Business wonders if the stock of Dow Jones & Co., the parent of The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and Marketwatch, is overvalued and headed for a fall. An item in the latest issue stated, “But with the stock’s decline of almost 10% in the past year, some analysts reckon the shares are […]

Fallout from Francisco fiasco

The resignation Friday of Marketwatch columnist Bambi Francisco amid allegations that she used her column to promote a company she was building on the site led to a lot of coverage on Saturday’s papers. Damon Darlin of the New York Times wrote, “Ms. Francisco said she expected Dow Jones to issue a news release saying […]

Francisco leaving Marketwatch

Embattled Marketwatch tech columnist Bambi Francisco announced in a column posted late Friday afternoon that she’s leaving the business news web site amid allegations of a conflict of interest. Francisco had been allowed to invest in a start-up company with the understanding that she not write about it or its customers. But recent media reports […]

Marketwatch reporter violates terms of investment deal?

A Wall Street Journal reporter wrote Friday that Marketwatch columnist Bambi Francisco apparently violated the terms of her agreement with the online business news web site by writing about companies in her column that use the service of the company she has a stake in. Matthew Karnitschnig wrote, “In a note prepared for employees last […]

Marketwatch columnist has stake in tech company

Greg Sandovel of CNET News.com has a story stating that Marketwatch columnist Bambi Francisco was allowed to take an ownership stake in a technology company last year after receiving permission from her editors. Sandovel wrote, “It’s unclear how large a stake Francisco received in Vator, which is backed by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. In an […]