Archive for July 13th, 2009

Among the Dow bellwethers releasing earnings Tuesday is a stock as easily classified with consumer staples as it is healthcare and medical devices. The Johnson & Johnson conglomerate is not only a big mover of the widely followed Dow index but it’s a microcosm of some of the most important parts of the U.S. economy…. »

The tech world turns to Intel as the chipmaker with the global reach will hopeful render some clues about demand in the global economy. Look for evidence of two major macro-economic stories – one in the developed world and one in the emerging markets.The first is an explosion in demand for handheld computers and smartphones,… »

The chip and semiconductor manufacturer from San Jose, Calif. reports earnings tomorrow and has guided analysts to expects revenue growth between between 2-7% over the first quarter because the technology markets have been stabilizing.Rick Whittington, an independent stock analyst who writes about semiconductor stocks for Forbes has been bullish on the sector all year, predicting… »

Goldman Sachs isn’t perfect, but the one time king of the bulge brackets newly-minted as a plain-old bank-holding company benefited from a nearly-perfect storm during the second quarter, as the financial market came back to life while its competitors were forced to make cuts.”Operating earnings are going to be terrific and I think the stock… »

With potash prices coming back down to earth, shares of potash producers also appear more grounded. But analysts warn against jumping into the fertile sector since prices may have further to fall. Shares of potash producers Potash and Intrepid Potash were uprooted during Monday’s trading session as the market absorbed industry reports that the Russian… »

The solar power industry may be about to deliver investors some bad news. Analysts at two big banks say leading solar companies may miss expectations when they announce profits and could lower their forecasts for the rest of the year. Leading to the disappointment are rapidly falling prices for photovoltaic systems amid fierce competition for… »

Meredith Whitney thinks you should buy Goldman Sachs, but not because the economy’s improving or things are going well in the financial market. On the contrary, she expects a tidal wave of public debt to fill massive government budget gaps, and the way she sees it, someone has to be the market’s facilitator.”This is not… »

En route to several key meetings in the Middle East, Timothy Geithner stopped over in London on Monday to swap notes about fixing the financial system. No doubt the chats with his British counterparts were sprinkled with platitudes about effective regulation, but the U.S. Treasury Secretary will have also sensed tension over what has become… »

Justin Gibbs and James Miles are a couple of guys the wine industry hates to love. The London International Vintners Exchange, an Internet- and phone-based exchange they launched nine years ago, has injected some transparency into the infamously opaque fine wine market. For a fee, merchants can buy and sell wines at fair, market-dictated prices… »

Sinister comments from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin last summer triggered fears that Russian steel titan Mechel could be the next Yukos. Now the firm of billionaire Igor Zyuzin has succeeded in refinancing some 2.6 billion in short term debt, in a move that has caught the market by surprise and bucks the trend of… »