Archives for February 2009

February 2009 - Page 9 of 11 - Money Morning - Only the News You Can Profit From

China Passing U.S. as World's Largest Auto Market

By Jason Simpkins Managing Editor Money Morning China likely outpaced the United States in auto sales for the first time ever last month – the beginning of what could be a lasting trend. Official data for China's January auto sales is scheduled for release tomorrow (Friday). However, preliminary estimates indicate that about 800,000 vehicles or […]

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Productivity Rises as Unemployment Soars

By Don MillerAssociate EditorMoney Morning New government data released yesterday (Thursday) shows deepening unemployment pushing the U.S. economy on a steep downward track even as companies squeeze more output from their remaining workers. The number of new claims for unemployment benefits rose 35,000 to a seasonally adjusted 626,000 in the week ended Jan. 31, the […]

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Global Infrastructure Spending to Reach $35 Trillion Over the Next 20 Years

By Jason Simpkins Managing Editor Money Morning A wave of government bailouts around the world and a sharp deterioration in existing infrastructure could lead to as much as $35 trillion in public works spending over the next 20 years, according to a new study by CIBC World Markets. The study, released last week, says that […]

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Global Investment News Briefs

Alcatel-Lucent Posts Eighth Straight Loss; Possible Merger: TicketMaster and Live Nation; ING Parent Sells ING Canada Stake; Costco Issues Earnings Warning; Auto Suppliers Want Bailout Money; Service Sector Positive but U.S Loses More Jobs; Mexico Supports Peso; Crude Slips on Inventory Buildup  France's Alcatel-Lucent SA (ADR:ALU) posted a 3.89 billion euro ($5 billion) loss in […]

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How Wall Street's Compensation-Defined Culture Fueled its Demise

On the subject of executive compensation, the question addressed here is straightforward: Are Wall Street executives worth what they are paid? As a successful former Wall Street executive, who was quite well paid, it’s a question I am qualified to answer. And the answer is “No.” The prevailing school of thought as espoused by those […]

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Obama's Pay Restrictions Send Tough Message to Wall Street

By Don MillerAssociate EditorMoney Morning Amid national outrage over revelations that Wall Street firms paid out more than $18 billion in bonuses while seeking massive taxpayer bailouts, President Barack Obama yesterday (Wednesday) announced plans to impose a $500,000 yearly cap on executive pay. With his new Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, at his side, Obama harshly […]

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Wall Street's Bonus System Was a Major Financial Crisis Catalyst

By Shah Gilani Contributing Editor Money Morning/The Money Map Report In a report released last week, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli estimated that the securities industry granted its employees $18.4 billion in bonuses – a revelation that President Barack Obama characterized as “shameful.” Not surprisingly, the audacity of The Street’s greed is far […]

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Retirement Investing: How Bear Markets Can Help Your Retirement Planning

By Martin HutchinsonContributing EditorMoney Morning If you save for retirement through a 401(k) plan, or have large IRA or Keogh Plan assets, you probably hurled your last statement in the bin. If you'd been making contributions consistently over the last decade, your last annual or monthly statement probably showed that the current value of your […]

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BHP Hungry for Acquisitions, Despite Falling Profits

By Mike Caggeso Associate Editor Money Morning Despite posting a 57% drop in its fiscal first half profit, BHP Ltd. (ADR: BHP) is looking to acquire smaller companies and assets with its strong cash flow. This is especially the case now that commodities have sunk from record levels last year, forcing down the market value […]

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