But don’t expect that to last. A slump in consumer spending and soaring unemployment could both pose a significant threat to retailers going into the 2009 holiday season.

The U.S. unemployment rate hit 9.5% in June and could eclipse 10% by the end of the year, sending the economy into a “jobless recovery.”

In a speech to Congress on May 9, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke cited a lack of consumer spending could serve as a constraint on hiring. This could create a paradoxical effect as employment obviously plays a key role in consumers’ spending habits.

Even for the employed, the lessons learned from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression will resonate with consumers. That has already been evidenced by the U.S. savings rate, which has climbed above 4% for the first time in more than a decade.

In addition to taking money out of the hands of potential customers, soaring unemployment could lead to higher lending standards. As unemployment rises, so too will credit defaults and the cost of credit will increase accordingly.

In the past, consumers have counted on attractive financing promotions for the purchase of big-ticket items such as high-definition televisions and kitchen appliances. But that won’t be the case with tighter credit

“Consumers were also able to spend more because of the easy availability of credit, most notably through mortgage equity withdrawal and they responded by buying more items,” said Deloitte Strategic Advisor Richard Hyman.  “These conditions underpinned retail growth for the past 10 years but have now disappeared. However, it’s worse than that. They will clearly not return once the recession is over.”

Of course, tighter credit isn’t just a problem for consumers.

A Brick & Mortar Inventory Crunch for the Holidays?

The potential bankruptcy of commercial lender CIT Group Inc. (NYSE:CIT) could be a major tipping point for businesses that rely heavily on credit. Vendors for retail giants such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) and Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) rely on CIT for factoring – an old form of finance in which the lender pays the vendor for its accounts receivable. If the retailer fails to pay for the goods, the lender assumes the responsibility to pay the vendor.

“Right now our industry is preparing for the fall and winter season,” Kevin M. Burke, president and chief executive of the American Apparel and Footwear Association told The New York Times. “A lot of these orders are going to come to a grinding halt if there is no capital.”
A CIT bankruptcy would be a “double whammy” to stores whose suppliers have already cut the amount of merchandise they are making to better align inventory with the drop in consumer spending, said Burke. If those suppliers lose their sole source of capital, what little merchandise retailers originally ordered might never arrive.
The timing of CIT’s woes is “terrible,” Al Ferrara, a partner in retail and consumer products business of consulting firm BDO Seidman LLC said in a Reuters interview. “Retailers now are basically gearing up for the back-to-school and the fall season.”
An inventory crunch at brick & mortar retailers would give a competitive advantage to online retailers, which have more flexibility and already account for about a third of holiday retail sales.

For brick & mortar retail businesses, managing inventories during the holiday season is a delicate balancing act in which managers must walk a fine line between over- and under-ordering stock.

If retailers overstock, they will be forced to offer even steeper post-holiday discounts than they would like in a desperate bid to unload inventory. But if they don’t stock enough merchandise to meet demand they risk not only missing out on sales, but driving potential customers to online retailers, such as Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) whose warehouses are not restricted by the display racks and checkout counters found in brick & mortar stores.

This doesn’t mean brick & mortar retailers will sit idly by this holiday season as Amazon siphons off customers via the Internet. All of the nation’s biggest retail players have their own websites too, but the gap between Amazon and the No. 2 online retailer, Staples Inc. (Nasdaq:SPLS) is huge: Amazon generated $19.2 billion in online revenue in 2008, while Staples generated less than half of that in the same year: $7.7 billion.

While half of the top 10 online revenue generators came from traditional stores, notably absent were brick & mortar discount giants Wal-Mart and Target.

And even Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY), which displays in-store signage promoting an “expanded assortment” of products online for consumers who did not find what they were looking for in the store, came in at just No. 10 on the list.

Shopping for a Silver Lining

While a continued slump in consumer spending would benefit no one, certain retailers are better positioned than others, and could ultimately use adverse economic conditions to turn a profit.

For instance, the aforementioned Amazon.com, which is the world’s largest online retailer, could see a sizeable boost in its web traffic as consumers comb the Internet for bargains.

Companies that have a consumer-friendly economical brand, such as Wal-Mart, will also benefit.

Wal-Mart’s “Save Money, Live Better” slogan is already resonating with consumers, and The No. 1 retailer in the world has gone to great lengths to cement its reputation as the affordable choice for shoppers.

The company has set up a “Save Money, Live Better” website (complete with testimonials of what people are doing with the money they save by shopping at Wal-Mart) and a “Live Better Index,” which includes an interactive map of the United States to show how much money people have saved in each state by shopping at Wal-Mart.

The result of Wal-Mart’s efforts? Holiday sales grew 7% last year, according to the Advertising Research Foundation.

Similarly, same-store sales are consistently rising at discount houses such as Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO), and Ross Stores Inc. (Nasdaq: ROST), the latter of which has the “Dress for Less” sloganright under its name at every store. On the flip side, stores like Macy’s Inc. (NYSE: M) and Saks Inc. (NYSE: SKS) have reported consistent declines in same-store sales over the past few quarters.

“Needs-driven spending will gravitate towards retailers able to tick the most important consumer boxes like price and convenience,” said Deloitte’s Hyman. “Although it will remain the engine of retail growth, wants-driven spending will slow and consumers will be much more choosy.”

Source: Retail Sector Faces Uphill Climb in 2009

• Existing home sales in the United States ticked up 2.9% in April, according to the National Association of Realtors. The report suggests the housing glut is turning around, but from the bottom up. “Most of the sales are taking place in lower price ranges and activity is beginning to pick-up in the mid-price ranges, but high-end home sales remain sluggish,” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun told reporters, Reuters reported.

• Malaysia’s economy shrank 6.2% in the first quarter on slumping exports, making for the country’s first contraction since 2001. “We expect the first quarter to be the worst in terms of the contraction,” Suhaimi Ilias, an economist at Maybank Investment Bank Bhd., told Bloomberg. “The strong fiscal impulse will lift the economy, especially in the second half of this year and 2010, with the implementation of the annual budgets and the two economic stimulus packages.”

• Office supply retailer Staples Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) slightly beat first-quarter earnings, though still reported a loss. Net earnings fell $147 million, or 20 cents a share, in the quarter ended May 2, Reuters reported.

• Slumping property prices, falling stock markets and shrinking bonuses have more than halved the amount of millionaires in the United Kingdom, the Centre for Economics and Business Research said. In last year’s report, the CEBR said there were 489,000 people in Britain with assets of at least 1 million pounds ($1.6 million). Now, that number is 242,000, Bloomberg reported.

• The yield spread between two- and 10-year Treasury notes widened to a record on Wednesday as concern about mounting sales of U.S. debt will overwhelm the U.S. governments efforts to keep interest rates low, Bloomberg reported.  The so-called yield curve widened to 2.75 percentage points, surpassing the previous record of 2.74 percentage points set on Aug. 13, 2003. Ten-year note yields have risen more than 100 basis points since Fed officials started buying up to $300 billion of U.S. debt in March to drive consumer rates down and lift the economy from recession.
• Seeking to reassure investors, Intel Corp (Nasdaq: INTC) said it will not cut its dividend or slash capital spending despite being fined a record $1.5 billion (1.06 billion euros) by EU regulators for antitrust violations. “There’s still plenty of cash flow from operations to invest in our business, pay the fine and pay the dividend,” said Stacy Smith, the chief financial officer of the world’s largest chipmaker at an analyst event in London yesterday (Wednesday), according to Reuters.

• Moody’s Investors Service reaffirmed the U.S. government’s Aaa credit rating is stable “even with a significant deterioration” in the nation’s debts, bolstering confidence in a rebound from the recession. The rating is supported by “a diverse and resilient economy, strong government institutions, high per-capita income, and a central position in the global economy,” New York-based Moody’s said in a statement, according to Bloomberg. But the firm warned that any “reassessment” of long-term growth prospects could put pressure on the rating.

• Crude oil prices rose to a six-month high yesterday (Wednesday) after Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said the global economy is now strong enough to deal with oil prices of $75 to $80 a barrel, Reuters reported. U.S. crude oil for July delivery rose $1.00 to settle at $63.45 a barrel, after earlier reaching $63.82, the highest level since mid-November. London Brent crude gained $1.26 to settle at $62.50 a barrel.

Source: Investment News Briefs Thursday May 28. 2009

• The U.S. Federal Reserve released its Beige Book report yesterday (Wednesday), which looks at the economic conditions in the 12 Fed regions. “The pace of economic activity has been slow in most districts,” the report said, Bloomberg News reported. “Wage pressures were characterized as moderate by most districts amid a general pullback in hiring.”

• August was another weak month for auto sales as most major carmakers reported declines. Ford Motor Co. (F) reported 26.6% decline, while General Motors Corp. (GM) sales fell 20.4%. Toyota Motor Corp. (ADR: TM) fared better with a 9.4% decline, but Japanese rival Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (ADR: NSANY) had a surprising 13.6% increase, Reuters reported.

• GMAC Financial Services (GMA) announced yesterday that it would close all 200 GMAC Mortgage retail offices and reduce and its Residential Capital LLC unit in an effort to cut costs and streamline operations, The Wall Street Journal reported. Approximately 5,000 employees, 60% of Residential Capital staff, will be let go.

• U.S. government officials charged two former Credit Suisse Group AG (ADR: CS) brokers with fraud and conspiracy yesterday (Wednesday) concerning sales of subprime-related debt, the International Herald Tribune reported. The two brokers gave clients the impression the debt was secured by federally guaranteed loans. “In September 2007, these former employees resigned after we detected their prohibited activity and promptly suspended them,” the bank said. “Credit Suisse immediately informed our regulators.”

• Orders to U.S. factories rose by a larger-than-expected amount in July, the Commerce Department said yesterday (Wednesday). New orders increased by 1.3%t in July, much stronger than the 0.8% increase economists expected. The July advance follows a 2.1% increase in June and represents the fifth straight rise in orders, The Associated Press reported.

• Staples Inc. (SPLS) the world’s largest office supply company, reported profit of $150.2 million, or 21 cents per share, for the quarter ended Aug. 2. Down from $178.8 million, or 25 cents per share, a year ago. Sales climbed 18% from $4.29 billion to $5.07 billion.

• A division of United Technologies Corp. (UTX) received a $78.1 million contract from the U.S. Navy for parts and materials to build propulsion systems for a variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, The Associated Press reported yesterday (Wednesday). United Technologies’ Pratt & Whitney will also build 10 propulsion systems for the U.S. Air Force, two of the same for the Royal Netherlands Air Force and three for the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy.

• Liberty Media Corp. (LMDIA) will spin off its stake in DirecTV Group Inc. (DTV) and other assets into a publicly traded company called Liberty Entertainment Group SA, according to Reuters. Liberty’s 50% stake in DirecTV will be the dominant asset in Liberty Entertainment, accounting for more than 80% of its value.

Sourcce: Global Investing Roundups Thursday, September 4th, 2008

U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke didn’t use the “S” word – stagflation – but he might as well have. On Friday, the U.S. central bank chief said that the financial crisis that has hammered the U.S. market is combining with rising inflation to eviscerate American economy. Together, the two forces are making it extremely difficult for the Fed to restore economic stability in the U.S. market.

Bernanke apparently welcomed the recent drop-off in the prices of oil and other key commodities – and says that inflationary pressures will moderate over the next year and a half, but also cautioned that the current inflation outlook remains highly uncertain.

The upshot: The Fed will monitor the economic situation closely and will “act as necessary” to make sure that inflation doesn’t get out of hand. These dueling cross-currents – a sputtering economy and racing prices – is stagflation, the potentially ruinous manifestation that was once thought to be a theory only, meaning it couldn’t possibly show up in real life. That changed in the 1970s, when soaring energy costs and a collapsing U.S. global competitiveness combined to send the American economy into a tailspin. When the inflation rate peaked at 13.5% in 1981, then-Fed Chairman Paul A. Volcker had to put short-term interest rates up to more than 20% to finally break inflation’s back.

Let’s hope that’s not happening again.

With the afore-mentioned crosscurrents, most economists believe that Fed policymakers will leave short-term rates unchanged when they next meet Sept. 16 – if not for the rest of the year.

Unfortunately, the latest wholesale prices report is a cause for concern, and certainly didn’t put a stop to the recent inflationary fears. In July, the Producer Price Index (PPI) skyrocketed at its fastest rate in nearly 30 years, far exceeding most economists’ forecasts.  While some are keeping a “wait-until-next-month” attitude (when the lower energy prices will be reflected in the numbers), others point to the core data (which excludes the volatile food-and-energy component) as proof that inflation is here to stay – regardless of the shift in energy prices.  Core wholesale prices suffered the largest monthly increase since November 2006 as other sectors clearly have been impacted by the rise in commodities.

At week’s end, however, Bernanke seemed to be reveal that he is most concerned about the sluggish economy; he made his case for the current level of Fed Funds rate of 2.00% by projecting that inflationary “pressures should ease in the coming months as commodity prices fall and the economy slows.”

Despite the recent reprieve from record energy prices (and Bernanke’s comments notwithstanding), inflation definitely should remain high on the Fed’s radar screen (and Americans will still feel the pinch in their pocketbooks).  While some analysts expect food and energy prices to lead to lower overall inflation gauges (Consumer Price Index, PPI) in the months to come, the recent core numbers reveal that businesses and consumers will continue to be impacted by price pressures.

The upcoming release of the minutes from last month’s Fed policymaking (Federal Open Market Committee, or FOMC) meeting will delve a bit into the mindset of the policymakers as they continue to face the dual economic threats of sluggish economy vs. inflation.  On that note, the revised second quarter gross domestic product (GDP) estimate will be released and investors are hoping for an upward revision from the 1.9% reported in July.

Most experts had been counting on those tax rebates contributing more to the domestic economic growth.  Confidence and personal income/spending data will help dictate just how active the consumer will be in the months to come.  Retailers (discounter and luxury stores alike) will surely be watching to learn whether they can expect any positive news in time for the holidays.  Finally, two one-time industry leaders, Dell Inc. (DELL) and Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD), report earnings, though such announcements do not carry the luster they once did.

Market Matters

Market/Index	Previous Week (08/15/08)	Current Week (08/22/08)	YTD Change
Dow Jones Industrial	11,659.90	11,628.06	-12.34%
NASDAQ	2,452.52	2,414.71	-8.96%
S&P 500	1,298.20	1,292.20	-12.00%
Russell 2000	753.37	737.60	-3.71%
Fed Funds	2.00%	2.00%	-225 bps
10 yr Treasury (Yield)	3.85%	3.87%	-17 bps

The latest business headlines are coming to us straight from China – the land that exports much of the world’s toys and other manufactured products and imports significant oil, natural gas and other commodities (greatly contributing to the prior surges in commodities-related prices). With Michael Phelps becoming an overnight hero at the Beijing Summer Olympics, a new corporate bidding war may soon begin as the record medalist prepares to be transformed into the next global marketing sensation (Whatever happened to just being featured on the cover of a Wheaties cereal box – you know, “the breakfast of champions?”).

Phelps currently maintains a contract with swimwear company, Speedo [The Warnaco Group Inc. (WRC)], and will collect a cool $1 million bonus for his gold medal accomplishments.  Enter Nike Inc. (NIKE), the sports apparel giant, with a limited swimwear presence.  Analysts project that Phelps could mean $50 million and a huge new market for Nike; the company may come calling with a blank check (Can you say Tiger Woods?  Michael Jordan?).

But here’s the issue as these companies prepare their bids and potentially increase their ad budgets during a period of economic uncertainty.  While Tiger and “MJ” participate(d) in sports that graced TV screens constantly, Phelps will drift into virtual athletic oblivion until London 2012.  Good luck, Michael.  Thanks for making us forget the global financial crisis – even if only for a couple of short days.

Speaking of the global financial crisis… just when it seemed that investors once again found it safe to hold Freddie Mac (FRE) and Fannie Mae (FNM) securities, a negative Barron’s article spooked shareholders that their stock prices were heading to zero amid an imminent government bailout.  Other analysts believed that full-fledged nationalization of the two government sponsored enterprises remains unlikely, and said that major loans from the U.S. Federal Reserve would seem the more logical path should capital infusions be needed.

Meanwhile, the respective stocks plunged to 18-year lows.  On the “lighter” side of the financial news, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. (MER), and Deutsche Bank AG (DB) joined UBS AG (UBS), Citigroup Inc. (C), JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), and Morgan Stanley (MS) in reaching settlements with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (doing his best pre-scandal Elliot Spitzer imitation) over past sales of risky securities.  On an even more positive note, analysts at JPMorgan stated that the next two years would be more favorable for financial firms than for energy companies  (Anyone interested in a Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEH) hostile takeover?).  In earnings news, retailers Home Depot Inc. (HD), Target Corp. (TGT), Saks Inc. (SKS), and Staples Inc. (SPLS) each posted worse-than-expected quarters, revealing that consumers are steering clear of just about every type of store these days.  Techs, however, got a boost as Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) reported surprisingly strong results.

As the week began, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted more than 300 points in two days as the Freddie/Fannie scare resurfaced.  Fortunately, the eternal optimists pointed to the light volume, which often results in exaggerated price moves (either up or down).  With the summer winding down, traders and investors alike head to the Hamptons for some much-deserved R&R (at least, those who can still afford it).  Oil prices suffered through some excess volatility as traders (over)analyzed the growing tensions between Russia and the United States, the weekly inventory data, and threats of storms in the Gulf that could have disrupted production.  By week’s end, the major equity indexes had bounced back, but still ended in negative territory.

Economically Speaking

As inflation worries continue to escalate, housing continues to struggle, as July construction starts plunged to their lowest pace since March 1991 and new mortgage applications also declined to levels not seen in almost eight years.  On the bright side (if any really exists), residential sales in So-Cal (Southern California) climbed to a 16-month high as homebuyers and real estate investors (more likely, speculators) finally found some value in certain foreclosed properties.  The predictive index, leading economic indictors, fell far more than expected as the continued slump in building permits led the ongoing pessimism about future housing activity.

Well, at least, So-Cal may be on the mend?  Any other regions care to follow?

Source: Worrisome Stagflation Becomes More Real All the Time

With the consumer price index (CPI) safely in the books for another month, economists can now turn their focus to wholesale inflation with the release of the May producer price index (PPI). Economists, mistakenly, often disregard the energy component of this data each month and focus mainly on the so-called “core” releases – which excludes “volatile food and energy prices.”

While food and energy prices often suffer from month-to-month volatility based on seasonal factors, they cannot be overlooked these days as they continue to have significant impact on the global economy.

Also, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEH) can’t seem to avoid the limelight, as the eyes and ears of the investment community will be sharply focused on its earnings announcement today (Monday), which also is expected to detail plans for its much needed capital infusion.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson welcomes his friends from China for Strategic Economic Dialogue IV, as both countries are sure to bicker over unfair trade practices, protectionism, and currency valuations. (And, “bickering” has become a very popular sport in Washington as of late… too late for the Beijing Olympics?).

Market Matters

So let the partisan bickering and political pandering begin. With the executive branch up for grabs in November, the Democratic-led U.S. Congress introduced legislation that has virtually no chance of passing, merely to be used as ammunition as the campaign season heats up. So-called “Big Oil” became the latest villain with politicos proposing windfall profit taxes on record company earnings. Our friends within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) did not escape the wrath of the Dems, who want to file suits over perceived price-fixing.

In typical partisan fashion, Republican Presidential candidate John McCain has touted his opponent, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, as a traditional “tax-and-spend” liberal, the wrong choice during this period of economic challenges. Sen. Obama pegged his opponent as a continuation of the previous eight years of failed policies that have led the country into recession/inflation/deflation.

Lehman Brothers has remained front and center in the “who will be the next Bear Stearns Cos. (BSC) watch“ as the financial giant attempted to raise $6 billion in new capital to compensate for its disastrous second quarter. The company also bid a (not-so) fond farewell to two high-ranking executives as it goes to great measures to regain some lost public trust. Over a four-day time frame, its stock gave up more than $4 billion in shareholder value.

Always a day late, Moody’s Investors Service jumped in to protect investors by downgrading the firm from “Stable” to “Negative.” In other business news, transactions headlined the week as Staples Inc. (SPLS) will be acquiring the Dutch office supply company, Corporate Express NV (ADR: CXP), for $2.7 billion. Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. (BUD) turned to Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo SA de CV (OTC: GPMCF) to help fend off an unsolicited offer by rival InBevNV.

Meanwhile, Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) finally said good riddance (presumably, for the last time) to Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) in any merger, partnership, or other relationship (and jumped into bed with Google Inc. (GOOG) with a search ad agreement). Apparently, McDonald’s Corp. (MCD) remains recession/inflation proof as the fast food chain reported strong domestic and global sales in May.

Crude traded within a $10 range throughout the week to settle around the $135-a-barrel level as traders over-analyzed news of declining demand, OPEC made comments about “unjustifiable rise on oil prices,” and polls blaming industry insiders for “unethical behavior.” In the “misery-loves-company” category, the United States is not the only nation to struggle with energy-related inflation.

China’s Shanghai Composite Index fell to its lowest level of the year as the country attempted to fight off related price pressures. Likewise, India reported that its inflation rate climbed above 8% in May, while Vietnam devalued its currency because of soaring prices. Closer to home, Broadway ticket sales are down more than 10% from last year’s levels – meaning that even the “rich-and-famous” group of consumers are suffering the ill-effect of soaring oil and gas prices.

After an extraordinary day in the markets that saw the Dow plunge close to 400 points and oil surge to almost $140 per barrel on June 6, any recent volatility seemed tame by comparison. While investors searched for bargains in equities, the fixed-income markets struggled mightily last week as prospects for future Fed rate hikes grew more likely. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury surged past 4% (and beyond), reaching its highest level of the year. Anyone inside the Beltway you’d care to blame, senators McCain and Obama?

• The U.S. Federal Reserve released its Beige Book yesterday (Wednesday), a look at the economic conditions in the central bank’s 12 regions. Overall economic activity was slower in April and May. “Three Districts described economic activity as softer, weaker, or lower, with an additional four Districts reporting slower, sluggish, or modest economic growth. The remaining five Districts of Philadelphia, Cleveland, Atlanta, St. Louis, and San Francisco described activity as stable or little changed in recent weeks,” the report read. While it is clear the economy is slowing, it has yet to experience a true contraction, clearing the way for the Fed to intensify its focus on inflation rather than recession.

• Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo Co. said it will buy a controlling stake (50.1%) of India’s biggest pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., (OTC:RBXLY) for up to $4.6 billion, Bloomberg reported. The addition of the fast-growing generic-brand company reflects the shifting tides in the pharmaceutical industry, as brand-medicine providers are losing considerable market share to generic drug providers.

• As retail sales have soured in the past year, U.S. liquidator retailer Big Lots Inc.’s (BIG) Chief Executive Steve Fishman said the company is “highly motivated” to expand its stores by up to one-third, Reuters reported. The Columbus-based company currently has 1,353 in 47 states, and expansion is contingent on the real estate market cooling down for better location prices, Fishman said.

• U.S. corn futures climbed more than 4% to a record high for the fifth consecutive trading session yesterday (Wednesday) as flooding expanded in the Midwest, the Associated Press reported. July 2009 Corn contracts soared to a record $7.56-1/4, surpassing the record of $7.35 set in during Asian trading hours. By midday, U.S. corn for July 2008 delivery had hit $7.03-1/4 per bushel. Corn prices on the Chicago Board of Trade have surged 80 percent over the past year.

• Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) yesterday (Wednesday) declared a regular cash dividend of 42 cents per share, a 17% increase to its prior payout of 36 cents per share, The Associated Press reported. The dividend is payable Aug. 20 to stockholders of record on July 21.

• Four Russian billionaires who co-own the troubled joint venture TNK-BP will take legal action against their partner BP PLC (BP) in two separate cities – Stockholm and Moscow, Reuters reported. The decision comes in the wake of failed discussions concerning the fate of TNK-BP President Robert Dudley. The Russians said they decided to act after BP failed to agree to a set of specific demands by a Wednesday deadline. One of these was that the venture’s American manager should be fired.

• Shares of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. (MSO) dropped 6% after President Chief Executive Officer Susan Lyne announced her resignation yesterday (Wednesday). Two high-level executives will replace her, MarketWatch reported. The stock lost 48 cents to close at $7.50.

• Office supply giant Staples Inc. (SPLS) has finally come to an agreement with Corporate Express NV (ADR: CXP) to purchase the Dutch firm for $4.8 billion. Corporate Express Chief Executive Officer Peter Ventress will become president of Staples International, a new position that will oversee Staples’ business outside of the United States and Canada. He will report to Ron Sargent, Staples’ president and CEO, The East Bay Business Times reported.

Source: Global Investing Roundups: Thursday, June 12th, 2008

• U.S. factory orders increased 1.1% in April, an unexpected gain that was boosted by the high cost of gas and other petroleum products, the Commerce Department announced yesterday (Tuesday). Economists had expected a smaller gain of just 0.1% after an upwardly revised 1.5% gain in March, MarketWatch reported.

• Borders Group Inc. (BGP) announced yesterday (Tuesday) it would reduce 20% of its corporate positions in an ongoing effort to cut costs. The No. 2 U.S. bookseller will eliminate 156 positions at its Ann Arbor, Mich. Headquarters and 118 corporate positions at other locations, Reuters reported. The reductions represent less than 1% of Borders total staff.

• In a bid to lure new customers to purchase reloadable cards, Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) will offer free AT&T Inc. (T) wi-fi service to patrons who buy a minimum $5 on a reusable Starbucks Card. “Customers have let us know they want to be recognized for choosing Starbucks,” Brad Stevens, vice president of customer relationships, told USA Today. Particularly, he says, at a time when “budgets are tight.”

• Annual inflation in Kenya soared 31.5% higher in May, Bloomberg reported, citing the country’s National Bureau of Statistics reported yesterday (Tuesday). May’s numbers are even steeper than April, when soaring food prices pushed inflation up 26.6%.

• Chevron Corp.’s (CVX) vice chairman told Bloomberg that the company will spend up to $5 billion in African oil projects – including nearly $5 billion for a gas-to-diesel conversion plant in the Niger Delta – to boost production and help accommodate global demand. “The world is saying it needs it,” said Peter Robertson.

• Staples Inc. (SPLS) yesterday (Tuesday) raised its hostile bid for Dutch office supplies distributor Corporate Express NV (ADR: CXP) to $2.6 billion. Rather than accepting two previous overtures from Staples, Corporate Express last month struck a surprise deal to buy a French competitor, Lyreco SAS, which would create an international competitor to Staples, the Associated Press reported. Lyreco may be entitled to a $46.8 million break-up fee if Corporate Express shareholders pursue the Staples deal.

• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEH), set to report its first quarterly loss since going public, is considering raising billions of dollars in fresh capital to help shore up its balance sheet, the Wall Street Journal reported. The exact amount isn’t known, but analysts estimate it is likely to be between $3 billion and $4 billion. Lehman will probably reveal the details of the plan with its quarterly results, due the week of June 16.

• Oil prices fell sharply yesterday (Tuesday), at times slipping more than $3 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The drop came after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke indicated that more interest rate cuts are unlikely. His comments sent the dollar higher and raised questions about oil’s ability to reach new highs in the short term.

Source: Global Investing Roundups Wednesday, June 4th, 2008

• Lowe’s Cos. Inc. (LOW) coughed up a rough first quarter, reporting a 18% decline in profit as the declining U.S. housing market and weakened dollar cut customer spending. The No. 2 home-improvement retailer in the United States also lowered its full-year outlook and revisiting plans for store expansion, MarketWatch reported.

• Billionaire investor Warren Buffett told AFP that he’s backing Barack Obama for the presidency. Buffett said he’d offer support to either Obama or Hillary Clinton, but leaned in favor of the Illinois senator. “I will be very happy if he is elected president,” Buffett said.

• Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is once again trying to team up with Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) though the renewed talks have not yet escalated to another takeover attempt. The Associated Press reported that discussions were revived Sunday, but Microsoft refused to offer up any specifics about the nature of the deal being explored except to say it involved bolstering the companies’ position in the online search and advertising markets.

• Office supplies retailer Staples Inc. (SPLS) yesterday (Monday) launched a hostile $2.34 billion bid for Corporate Express NV (CXP), as the Dutch office supplier was unwilling to negotiate, Reuters reported. Corporate Express rejected Staples’ $12 (8 euros) a share offer last week saying it significantly undervalued the company. Based on 182.848 million Corporate Express shares outstanding, the equity value is worth $2.26 billion (1.46 billion euros). Including net debt, the value is $4.3 billion (2.8 billion euros), Staples said.

• News Corp. (NWS) said yesterday (Monday) that it raised its stake in Premiere AG, a German pay-TV operator, to 25%, the Associated Press reported. News Corp., which previously owned 22.7% of the company, has been increasing its stake in Premiere since January, when it bought a 14.5% stake the from cable operator Unitymedia. Premiere has more than 4 million subscribers in Germany and Austria.

• Video game maker Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. (TTWO) once again rejected rival Electronic Art Inc.’s (ERTS) $2 billion hostile takeover offer. Due in part to the strength of Take-Two’s release of Grand Theft Auto 4, management recommended that shareholders not accept EA’s offer, Reuters reported.

• Pacific Ethanol Inc. (PEIX) shares more than doubled yesterday (Monday) as first quarter results beat expectations. The ethanol producer lost $35.2 million, or 90 cents per share, compared to earnings of $3 million, or 5 cents per share, for the same period the year prior, The Associated Press reported. But if not for a one-time charge of 96 cents, the company would have posted a first-quarter profit of 6 cents per share. Shares gained $1.94, an increase of 60%, to close at $5.14.

• Shares of for-profit education firm DeVry Inc. (DV) dropped yesterday (Monday) on news that the federal government is investigating the firm’s recruitment policies, The Associated Press reported. DeVry stock shed $2.47, a 4.36% decline to close at $54.20. DeVry has pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation.

Source: Global Investing Roundups: Tuesday, May 20th, 2008