Archive for July 29th, 2009

As real estate companies deluge investors with earnings reports this week and next, RBC analyst Mike Salinsky says a few property owners that specialize in apartment buildings present good opportunities. But investors need to watch out for dividend cuts and stock sales as firms try to raise cash in the recession.While other property companies, especially… »

The unemployment rate masks the deterioration in the quality of the labor market, as more Americans are exhausting their unemployment benefits, potentially leading more defaults, foreclosures and bankruptcies.Americans have been wading in unemployment lines for the longest amount time since 1948, when the government started keeping track. The average length of unemployment in June was… »

Steep second-quarter profit declines aren’t over yet for the oil sector as Exxon Mobil reports second-quarter results on Thursday and Chevron releases its second-quarter report on Friday. By now the market is well-versed in the difficult year-over-year comparisons plaguing oil companies so far. During 2008′s second quarter crude oil traded at 125 a barrel, about… »

Investors dig Barrick Gold’s vigorous project lineup, and progress updates will be the focus of Thursday’s second-quarter release as the market gauges whether the world’s largest gold producer remains on track to meet the year’s production targets.In May, the Toronto-based gold producer poured first gold at Buzwagi, its Tanzanian mine, where production this year is… »

A senior Swiss official accepting a 45,000 bribe? The U.S. citizen who made the allegation as he pled guilty to hiding money from the U.S. government might just has well have insulted all Swiss grannies. Switzerland prides itself on its clean image: the country ranks fifth on the 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index of Transparency International,… »

Before the recession hit, British candy maker Cadbury had to fight to defend its image as consumers became increasingly health-conscious. It launched “99-calorie” candy bars in 2005, acquired organic premium chocolate maker Green & Black’s and even promoted a scheme to allow schoolchildren to trade empty wrappers for sports equipment. Although chocolate sales still grew… »

Signs of the recovery in demand for steel aren’t translating into concrete numbers for its suppliers it seems, highlighted by the latest update from Lakshmi Mittal’s ArcelorMittal.The firm’s forecasts for the a third quarter EBITDA of between 1.4 billion and 1.8 billion disappointed a market that had been hoping that signs of the green shoots… »

When the economy recovers, some companies will come back with a bang and others will arrive with a calm “hello.” SAP seems content to go with the latter. The world’s biggest maker of business software surprised the market on Wednesday when it showed just how well it had done to keep a lid on costs… »

The glass is half full for PSA. France’s biggest carmaker, PSA Peugeot Citroen, swung to a loss on Wednesday, highlighting tough market conditions until 2010. Yet investors remained positive on the stock based on a higher-than expected debt reduction and positive cash flow, a sign the company is managing its finances well.The carmaker posted a… »

On Monday the Securities and Exchange Commission made what was previously a temporary rule about failing to locate a stock before shorting it permanent yesterday. This rule was put in place at the end of the last year in the midst of high market volatility to hinder naked short selling and bear raids. Naked short… »