Stocks & Markets

July 7, 2009

Fragile Hope for M&A

These days, the world of mergers and acquisitions seems quiet, but below the surface there is a buzz of activity, investment bankers say. Buyers, both companies and ...

July 7, 2009

Stimulus Gets a Second Wind in Washington

There's probably nothing more politically radioactive right now than another fiscal stimulus package, considering that the first one will cost $787 billion and hasn't ...

July 7, 2009

Analyst Picks and Pans: Discover, Hansen Medical, Vital Images

Discover Financial Services (DFS) Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. maintains outperform On July 6, the credit card lender said it would raise $500 million through a ...

July 6, 2009

Earnings: Where the Q2 Surprises Could Be

The pullback in equity indexes on July 2 in response to the larger-than-expected drop in June nonfarm payrolls shouldn't have been a surprise, as light preholiday ...

July 6, 2009

Experts Weigh Jobs Fallout, Service Sector, Earnings

By BusinessWeek staff The early summer warming trend in U.S. economic data gave way to a sudden chill with the release of a worse-than-expected June jobs report on ...

July 2, 2009

Stocks Tumble on Jobs News

Stocks got slammed in extremely light trading Thursday following the employment report, which revealed more weakness for job trends ahead of the long July 4 holiday ...

July 1, 2009

Analyst Picks and Pans: Nasdaq, Myriad Genetics, Sealy

Nasdaq OMX Group (NDAQ) Deutsche Bank downgrades to hold from buy Deutsche Bank analyst Michael Carrier said in a July 1 research note that Nasdaq OMX's ...

June 30, 2009

Stocks: A Midyear Assessment

Halfway into a tumultuous 2009, investors are no doubt ready for their summer vacations. The first six months of the year—which officially ended June ...

June 30, 2009

Analyst Picks and Pans: Apollo Group, MSC Industrial Direct

Apollo Group Inc. (APOL) Deutsche Bank raises estimates Apollo Group Inc. said on June 30 it had strong growth in student enrollments during its fiscal third quarter. ...

June 25, 2009

Bank Stocks: The Smartest Plays Now

There's been a huge sigh of relief breathed by investors in U.S. banks since the Treasury-ordered stress tests that concluded in early May. In the weeks since, banks ...

June 24, 2009

Small-Cap Stocks: Is the Rally Over?

Score one for the small fry: Small-cap stocks have generally had a bigger bounce than large-cap names since March. But now that the initial phase of the stock market ...

June 24, 2009

Earnings: Nowhere to Go but Up

With a week left in the second quarter of 2009, investors are clinging to hopes that U.S. companies can finally stop the slide in their profits. For months, stocks ...

June 24, 2009

Analyst Picks and Pans: Oracle, Black & Decker, Harmonic

Oracle Corp. (ORCL) Jefferies & Co. keeps buy William Blair & Co. reiterates outperform Oracle "continues to execute very well given the spending environment and ...

June 24, 2009

Stocks Finish Mixed as Fed Holds Steady

U.S. stocks closed mixed Wednesday, with the Dow industrials lagging the broader market due to drops in Boeing (BA), United Technologies (UTX), and certain other blue ...

June 23, 2009

Stocks Finish Mixed

U.S. stocks finished mixed Tuesday afternoon, with strength in financial shares offset by weakness in industrials, driven by a drop in shares of Dow component Boeing ...

June 22, 2009

Analyst Picks and Pans: Monsanto, E*Trade, TJX Cos.

Monsanto Co. (MON) Jefferies & Co. reiterates buy Investors may be disappointed this week if Monsanto Co., the world's biggest seed maker, fails to show a clear path ...

June 22, 2009

Stocks Tumble on Economic Worries

U.S. stocks finished sharply lower Monday, with major indexes sustaining losses of 2.4%-3.4%. Wall Street's slump was sparked by a World Bank report in which the ...

June 19, 2009

Analyst Picks and Pans: Citigroup, Research in Motion, Sealy

Citigroup (C) Rochdale Securities initiates with buy Rochdale analyst Richard Bove said on June 19 the U.S. government has made it clear that Citigroup is "too big to ...

June 19, 2009

Stocks Finish Mixed

Major U.S. stock indexes finished mixed Friday in a session marked by the so-called "quadruple witching" -- the quarterly expiration of options and futures contracts. ...

June 18, 2009

The Incredible Shrinking Stock Buyback

"Buy low, sell high" is a stock market mantra, but too often investors end up buying at the top of the market and selling at the bottom. And new data on stock buybacks...

June 18, 2009

Analyst Picks and Pans: Abercrombie & Fitch, SanDisk, Melco

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (ANF) SunTrust Robinson Humphrey upgrades to buy from neutral SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analyst Robin Murchison said on June 18 that ...

June 18, 2009

Stocks Finish Mostly Higher

U.S. stocks finished mostly higher Thursday ahead of Friday's quadruple witching expiration of options and futures. The Dow industrials and S&P 500 benefited from ...

June 17, 2009

FedEx: Still Waiting for an Economic Recovery

Many investors and economists are betting that an end to the recession is on its way. But the latest results from FedEx (FDX) pose a grim question: What if economic ...

June 17, 2009

Analyst Picks and Pans: Netflix, International Paper, Central Garden

Netflix Inc. (NFLX) Wedbush Morgan upgrades to buy from hold Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said on June 17 that Netflix's valuation is now more compelling as ...

June 17, 2009

Stocks Finish Mixed

U.S. stocks closed mixed Wednesday. Tech and healthcare issues outpaced financials after Standard & Poor's Ratings Services downgraded several banks and the White ...