Filed under: Investing , Earnings It has been a mixed week for the markets, with financial institution bulls and bears engaged in yet another tug-of-war over Dow 8,000 . However, there is one objective, positive data point that the bulls can point to: confidence in the global economy. Confidence in...

Filed under: Company News By now, it is an old idea. General Motors ( GM ) should merge with Chrysler, cut weak brands, bargain with the UAW for better pay and benefit terms, and downsize plants. Based on news reports, the companies talked about merging several month ago. The talks fell apart and it...

Filed under: Economy Fourteen months ago, I learned about the $330 billion market for a new financial instrument called Auction Rate Securities (ARS) — bonds sold as cash-like instruments whose yields reset in periodic auctions. But in February 2008, the banks that created ARS stopped propping...

Filed under: Economy Fourteen months ago, I learned about the $330 billion market for a new financial instrument called Auction Rate Securities (ARS) — bonds sold as cash-like instruments whose yields reset in periodic auctions. But in February 2008, the banks that created ARS stopped propping...

Filed under: Company News After three better-than-expected bank earnings announcements, investors are beginning to act as if the worst is over for the financial crisis. But are these earnings reports based on a fundamental improvement in the business climate and the banks’ strategies, or one-time...

Filed under: Company News , Columns The short-term publicity General Electric Co. ( GE ) got from signing a reality show deal with ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will be eclipsed by the long-term harm it will do to the credibility of its NBC network. Blagojevich has reportedly been offered...

Filed under: Company News , Columns The short-term publicity General Electric Co. ( GE ) got from signing a reality show deal with ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich will be eclipsed by the long-term harm it will do to the credibility of its NBC network. Blagojevich has reportedly been offered...

Filed under: Company News , Earnings I’m an Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN ) shopper (my Kindle 2 is supposed to arrive today!), but I was still surprised to Financethat the company could be responsible for one out of every three online purchases. Barron’s quotes RBC Capital analyst Stephen Ju as...

Filed under: Company News , Economy General Growth ( GGP ), the big mail operator, will file for Chapter 11. According to The Wall Street Journal , which broke the story, “Many analysts suspect General Growth will survive a lengthy bankruptcy intact, but perhaps smaller after selling properties,...

Filed under: Company News It’s beginning to look like the cozy little plan of salvaging Chrysler through an investment from Italy’s Fiat is going to fall flat on its face. And if it does, this will leave the U.S. in an awkward position. In addition to forking over another $77 billion to...