Google Doesn’t Disappoint; Jobless Claims Drop but Remain High; Peabody’s Third Quarter Lights Out; Nucor Profit Doubles; Nokia’s Profit Dip; AMD Narrows Loss; Hershey’s Sweet Surprise; Citi’s Consumer Credit Woes

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD) will spin off its computer chip plants and receive a cash infusion of as much as $8.4 billion from an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund. Will it help the chipmaker compete with Intel (NYSE:INTC)? Or will it leave it more vulnerable to a price war with its rival?

The US dollar index has jumped 10% since early July.

This has had a negative effect on commodity prices. It has also brought considerable relief to consumers in the form of lower gas prices.

However, US exporters have watched their products become 10% more expensive in just two months.

Andrew Gordon says shorting US stocks with a heavy reliance on overseas sales is a great way to profit from US dollar strength. He lists the ten companies most vulnerable to further gains in the buck.

Home Sales Building Bank UP; Morgan Stanley Offers Saudi Swap; Rubin Changes Role at Citi; Ford Skids; Stormy Weather Boosts Oil; AMD Sells Off Losing Unit; Feds Find for Star Scientific; Golden Slump

Intel vs. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). It’s like the epic battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. This battle helped bring down the price of a CPU, speed up the adoption of new technologies, and increase the feature set and speed within a computers main brain. And it was all brought to you thanks to market regulation.

There is an ongoing war being waged inside every single computer sold in the world today. Until recently, the war involved two CPU (the brains of your computer) manufacturers, Intel (INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). But both companies better watch their back, Nvidia (NVDA) is on the prowl.

How does the prospect of $4 a gallon gasoline sound to you? Undoubtedly, it doesn’t sound all that great. But what if I said that gasoline prices were headed for the $4 a gallon level, but once they got there, they’d head no higher?

How does the prospect of $4 a gallon gasoline sound to you? Undoubtedly, it doesn’t sound all that great. But what if I said that gasoline prices were headed for the $4 a gallon level, but once they got there, they’d head no higher?

All of this news may appear to paint a gloomy outlook for investors, but it does not have to.  After all, these sorts of announcements and business-strategy changes are all part of normal business and economic cycles.

U.S. markets dropped on a disappointing initial round of first-quarter earnings.