Archive for July 20th, 2009

Hyperactive efforts by Starbucks to restore the appeal of its brand in the face of increased competition from fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s aren’t likely to significantly materialize until the U.S. economy improves.Changes have been brewing at Starbucks ever since it realized that rampant expansion was having dilutive effect on its brand. The company’s renewed focus… »

A list of the airline industry’s woes already looked long. They’ve struggled with volatile fuel prices, too many seats for too few passengers and a global recession that has led to a drop in business and leisure travel. Here comes another one: billions in bonds and bank loans are coming due over the next year…. »

BlackRock’s strength should be on display Tuesday when the asset management firm releases its second quarter report.Wall Street analysts are, on average, expecting BlackRock to report second quarter earnings of 1.58 per share, well shy of the 2.14 it recorded in last year’s corresponding period. Shares of the asset management firm rose 2.8%, or 5.03,… »

Investors pulled their money out of the safe-haven dollar and bought some commodities Monday, as the market’s capricious compass pointed in an optimistic direction.Kevin Chau, a foreign exchange strategist at IDEAglobal, said the potential survival of CIT Group aided the atmosphere. The greenback fell against a basket of currencies, as traders were exchanged euros for… »

Climbing copper prices mean good things for Phoenix-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold. As the world’s largest publicly traded copper and molybdenum producer, the company is highly leveraged to the price of copper, which has soared more than 50% since the beginning of the year.Shares of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold have more than doubled since the… »

As a machinery supplier to the construction, mining and forestry industries, Caterpillar garners interest when it reports earnings. This quarter is no exception even though analysts largely agree that the construction industry remains in the pits. Still, with hefty exposure to emerging economies, there’s slight hope that Caterpillar’s report will show some sign that recovery… »

For money managers, as much as for any investor in the markets, the second quarter of 2009 brought some welcome relief. With the S&P 500 up 15% from April through June, the profits of companies that manage assets for institutions and individuals are likely to have rebounded from the first quarter’s dismal results. For State… »

There is a chance that Italian carmaker Fiat will surprise the market with a return to profitability on Wednesday. However, the market will be more concerned about the firm’s progress in lightening its cumbersome debt load. Fiat could post a net profit of between 31 million euros to 40 million euros according to some analysts… »

Just as the British economy was slowly beginning to recover, a new foe has emerged. Swine flu could cause Britain’s economy to shrink by a gigantic 7.5% this year and dash hopes of recovery next year. “If the worst case scenarios of the threat of swine flu are fully realized, gross domestic product could fall… »

It’s no secret that the recession in Britain has boosted demand for cheap thrills, whether it’s a night out at the movies or staying in with a pizza, and delivery chain Domino’s Pizza UK on Monday once again wowed market watchers with a set of strong six-month results. The recession has also led to more… »