Markets Fall On Profit-Taking; Southwest Ups Bid For Frontier; GM to Sell Cars on eBay; Dish Subscribers Grow, Profit Falls; U.S. Consumer Bankruptcies on the Rise; Nobel Nod; McDonald’s Same-Store Sales Up 4.3% in July; BofA Pays $55 Million in Countrywide Employee Settlement
All Three Markets Rise on Earnings Beats; Government Now Citi’s Biggest Shareholder; Jobless Claims Up but Subsiding; Crude Surges More Than 5%; Motorola Surprises; Recession Takes a Toll on House of Mouse; Ballmer Defends Yahoo Partnership; Southwest Makes Bid for Frontier
U.S. Government to Hold Hearings on Futures Trading; Boeing to Acquire 787 Fuselage Maker; Job Losses Contribute to Rising Credit Delinquencies; Ex-Goldman Sachs Worker May Have Stolen Crucial Code; Declining Southwest Traffic Prompts Deep Fare Discounts; GM Asks U.S. to Let It Drop Dealers, Parts Maker Files for Bankruptcy
When it comes to the U.S. stock market right now, the story continues to be about earnings. And this week will be no exception.
Everyone knows or knows someone who knows a “Debbie Downer.” That acquaintance or friend that just won’t let you have a good time. They always seem to pull the good times down and ruin the party for the rest of us.
Quote of the week: I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph. – Shirley Temple
Here are eight stocking stuffers to unwrap.
Airline stocks are enjoying a sharp upswing today. The industry is recovering strongly as fuel prices tumble. And investors are also encouraged by the Delta (NYSE:DAL) and Northwest (NYSE:NWA) merger. But Andrew Snyder says this remains a high-risk sector for stock investors.
The airline industry has been one of the hardest hit by this summer’s run-up in crude oil prices.
British Airways (LON:BAY) CEO Willie Walsh says it’s “the worst trading environment the industry has ever faced.”
But crude oil’s retreat from its early-July peak has led investors back into the industry, says Martin Denholm in The Smart Profits Report.
And Martin’s colleague Marc Lichtenfeld has given potential investors two stocks to watch should the uptrend continue. Here’s more from Martin…
A hectic week on the economic calendar is highlighted by the initial look at second quarter gross domestic product (GDP). Remember, a recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth, so doomsayers have targeted this week’s release as confirmation of their pessimism.
Southwest Feels the Love; Minimum Wage Bump; Qualcomm and Nokia Accord; Fertilizer Firm Reaps Rewards; Unemployment Claims Mount; Ford’s Worst Quarter in History; Dow Unable to Recoup Losses; Gaming Taking Off in Macau.