Stock Market
Facebook's stock falls below $30 for first time
NEW YORK -- Facebook's stock has fallen below $30 for the first time since its much-awaited public debut this month.The stock fell $3.07, or 9.6 percent, to close at $28.84 on Tuesday. That's down 24 percent since its public stock debut. It went as low as $28.65 earlier in the day.
Date: 05/29/2012 | Business
Amazon says it will improve warehouse conditions
SEATTLE -- Amazon.com Inc., addressing issues that have drawn heavy criticism of the company, told shareholders Thursday that it planned to improve warehouse conditions and drop its membership in a conservative public-policy organization.
Date: 05/25/2012 | Business
Asia stocks mixed as Europe holds another summit
BANGKOK -- Asian stock markets struggled to make headway Thursday as the lack of a breakthrough in Europe's attempts to shake off its debt crisis kept sentiment gloomy.
Date: 05/24/2012 | Business
Facebook may make an about face, leave Nasdaq
The Facebook fallout continues.Congressional panels are examining concerns about last Friday's initial public offering of the social network company. And Facebook reportedly is in talks to switch from Nasdaq to the New York Stock Exchange.
Date: 05/23/2012 | Business
Late rally erases steep losses on Wall Street
NEW YORK -- A big final-hour comeback pulled the Dow Jones industrial average nearly back to where it started Wednesday.
Date: 05/23/2012 | Business
Facebook's IPO: Price flat on first trading day
NEW YORK -- Facebook (FB) updated its status to "public company" on Friday.
Date: 05/18/2012 | Business
Questions and answers on blockbuster Facebook IPO
NEW YORK -- Taking a company public isn't as simple as collecting Facebook friends.Even if the company is Facebook.
Date: 05/18/2012 | Business
Buffett's Berkshire to buy Media General papers
NEW YORK -- Billionaire Warren Buffett's company is making another foray into newspapers, agreeing to buy 63 newspapers from Media General Inc. for $142 million.
Date: 05/18/2012 | Business
Even with a hedge investment, there’s a risk of loss
"A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you're talking real money." That quotation is usually attributed to the late U.S. Sen. Everett Dirksen even though researchers have not found a record of his ever having said it.
Date: 05/18/2012 | Business
U.S. economy perks up after early spring slump
WASHINGTON -- Maybe the U.S. economy's strength this winter wasn't just weather-related after all.Home construction is near a three-year high. And factory output has risen in three of the year's first four months.
Date: 05/16/2012 | Business
Facebook is a passing fad, say half of Americans polled
Half of Americans think Facebook is a passing fad, according to the results of a new Associated Press-CNBC poll. And, in the run-up to the social network's initial public offering of stock, half of Americans also say the social network's expected asking price is too high.
Date: 05/16/2012 | Business
JPMorgan CEO survives votes on pay, board post
TAMPA, Fla. -- The CEO of JPMorgan Chase offered a quick but blunt apology to shareholders Tuesday for a $2 billion trading loss that "should never have happened" and survived a push to strip him of the title of chairman of the board.
Date: 05/15/2012 | Business
Berkshire holders trust Buffett on health outlook
OMAHA, Neb. -- Warren Buffett worked to reassure shareholders that he's feeling good after his recent prostate cancer diagnosis, and that Berkshire Hathaway is ready to replace the revered 81-year-old investor when the need arises.
Date: 05/05/2012 | Business
Economy in ‘virtuous,’ if slow, cycle, analysts say
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. economy's recovery looks enduring. It's just not very strong.
Date: 05/04/2012 | Business
Fidelity: 401(k) balances grew average 8% in 1Q
BOSTON -- Employee 401(k) accounts grew nearly 8 percent last quarter as a surging stock market boosted investment returns and worker contributions increased.
Date: 05/01/2012 | Business
Forecast for slow but steady economic growth
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. economy grew more slowly in the first three months of this year. Governments spent less, and businesses cut back on investment. But consumers spent at the fastest pace in more than a year.
Date: 04/27/2012 | Business
Apple's blowout quarter propels Nasdaq to big gain
NEW YORK -- The Nasdaq composite index shot 2 percent higher Wednesday, powered by a surge in Apple. The iPhone maker's stock climbed $50 after the company once again blew past Wall Street's profit forecasts.With Apple's help, the technology-focused Nasdaq posted its best day this year.
Date: 04/26/2012 | Business
JOBS Act’s merits unclear, but it can’t hurt
One balmy day last week in the Rose Garden, President Barack Obama signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act into law. He was surrounded by a cheerful group of Democratic and Republican senators and representatives -- the main supporters of the legislation who had held its hand and...
Date: 04/13/2012 | Business
Worst loss for Dow this year as stocks slump again
NEW YORK -- The stock market extended its longest and deepest slump of the year Tuesday, caught between a recurring nightmare of European debt and the beginning of uncertain corporate earnings reports at home.
Date: 04/10/2012 | Business
Insider’s novel examines Wall Street from woman’s perspective
I typically make selections for the Color of Money Book Club on topics such as investing, retirement saving, getting a mortgage or buying long-term care insurance. You know, important but not very sexy stuff.
Date: 04/01/2012 | Business
Gordon Gekko got it wrong; greed is killing our economy
Gordon Gekko got the math right. Greed is one word and there is no better one. Gekko, the corporate raider played by Michael Douglas in the 1987 movie, "Wall Street," in his memorable appeal to stockholders, said, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good."
Date: 03/30/2012 | Business
Consumer outlook remains upbeat
NEW YORK -- Americans' rosy outlook about the U.S. economy remains resilient as they focus on the good in the barrage of conflicting economic news.
Date: 03/27/2012 | Business
Higher gas prices threaten U.S. economy
WASHINGTON -- Inflation remains tame throughout the U.S. economy, with one big exception: gas prices.
Date: 03/18/2012 | Nation & World
Stock rally helps regain wealth lost in recession
WASHINGTON -- Americans are climbing further out of the hole they sank into during the Great Recession.
Date: 03/10/2012 | Business
Nasdaq, NYSE vie for Facebook stock listing
LOS ANGELES -- The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are battling it out far from home -- at Facebook Inc.'s Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters -- to see which market will snag the hottest stock listing in years.
Date: 03/09/2012 | Business
Recovery slow but steady
WASHINGTON -- After years of bad news begetting more bad news, the American economy may finally be building momentum in the other direction.
Date: 03/01/2012 | Business
Dow closes above 13,000 for first time since May 2008
The Dow Jones industrial average rode a surge of confidence in the economy Tuesday to close above 13,000, a threshold it last crossed four months before the financial crisis of 2008 and the darkest days of the Great Recession.
Date: 02/28/2012 | Business
Dow breaks 13,000 in early trading for first time since '08 crisis
NEW YORK -- The Dow Jones industrial average crossed 13,000 on Tuesday for the first time since May 2008, when the Lehman Brothers investment bank was solvent, unemployment a healthy 5.4 percent and the worst of the Great Recession months ahead.
Date: 02/21/2012 | Business
Dow average closes within 50 points of 13,000
NEW YORK -- The Dow edged teasingly close to the 13,000 marker on Friday, a milestone it hasn't reached since before the financial crisis brought the U.S. economy to its knees.
Date: 02/18/2012 | Business
Improving job market, other signs boost hopes for economy
WASHINGTON -- The healthier job market that's lifted the economy in recent months shows no signs of slowing.
Date: 02/17/2012 | Business
Mortgage settlement may bring $600 million to Washington
Tens of thousands of Washington homeowners may be eligible for aid in refinancing their homes or cash if they've already lost their house through foreclosure under the $25 billion mortgage settlement announced today.
Date: 02/09/2012 | The Petri Dish
House passes ban on insider trading by Congress
WASHINGTON — The House has passed a bill to ban members of Congress and executive branch officials from insider trading. But critics from both parties accuse House Republican leaders of caving in to investment firms by eliminating a proposal to regulate people who try to pry financial...
Date: 02/08/2012 | Nation & World
Apple juggernaut gets little investor respect
NEW YORK -- Apple is worth $415 billion, putting it neck and neck with Exxon Mobil as the world's most valuable company. But by standard Wall Street measures, its stock is a bargain.Why aren't investors giving the company full credit for its enormous profits and staggering growth?
Date: 01/26/2012 | Business
Flatpack design helps IKEA thrive during world recession
ZAVENTEM, Belgium -- It takes Mikael Ohlsson five minutes -- and the help of one other person -- to assemble IKEA's Ektorp sofa.After 33 years at the Swedish home-ware chain, the 54-year-old chief executive is an expert at configuring IKEA's famous flat-pack furniture.
Date: 01/21/2012 | Business
After many ups and downs, stocks end flat for 2011
NEW YORK -- The stock market ended a tumultuous year right where it started.
Date: 12/31/2011 | Business
Act now to ease your IRS tax burden
Time is running out on year-end tax planning.Acting now can reduce your tax bill for the year, which will pay dividends when you file taxes in the spring.Here are some recommendations on where to start.
Date: 12/29/2011 | Business
Stocks soar on strong housing starts, new hope for Europe
NEW YORK — Encouraging signs out of Europe and a surprisingly strong report on the U.S. housing market drove the Dow Jones industrial average up more than 300 points Tuesday. It was the best day for stocks this month.
Date: 12/20/2011 | Business
Households lose wealth while corporations stack up the cash
WASHINGTON -- Americans' wealth last summer suffered its biggest quarterly loss in more than two years as stocks, pension funds and home values lost value.At the same time, corporations increased their cash stockpiles to record levels.
Date: 12/09/2011 | Business
Asia stocks fall as S&P warns euro nations on debt
BANGKOK -- Asian stock markets fell Tuesday after Standard and Poor's warned 15 countries using the euro currency that their credit ratings are at risk of a downgrade.
Date: 12/05/2011 | Nation & World
401(k) saving are up but balances fall
BOSTON -- Workers continued to stash more money in their 401(k) plans in the third quarter, but the stock market's sharp decline only left them further behind in reaching their savings goals.
Date: 12/01/2011 | Business
Dow Jones up nearly 500 points
NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks rallied Wednesday, with the Dow industrials chalking up their best day in more than three years, as the Federal Reserve and five other central banks moved to help banks hit by Europe's debt crisis.
Date: 12/01/2011 | Business
Asia stocks fall as Europe debt crisis festers
BANGKOK -- Asian stocks fell Wednesday after a meeting of Europe's finance ministers failed to stem fears that the euro currency union is hurtling toward a breakup. Banking stocks slumped after some of the world's top financial institutions were slapped with a credit rating downgrade.
Date: 11/30/2011 | Nation & World
Asian stocks rise as Europe ministers meet on euro
BANGKOK -- Asian stock markets climbed today amid hopes that European leaders are considering new, radical proposals to extricate the region from a debt crisis that threatens to rip apart the euro currency union.
Date: 11/29/2011 | Nation & World
Innovative ideas from Everett compete with Wall Street
Brian Evans has done something few people off Wall Street have accomplished.
Date: 11/28/2011 | Business
Stocks slip to end the roughest week since September
NEW YORK — The worst week for the stock market in two months ended with a whimper in thin trading Friday.The Dow Jones industrial average lost 4.8 percent this week, while the broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 4.7 percent. Both had their worst weeks since Sept. 23.
Date: 11/25/2011 | Business
Asia stocks lower as Italy borrowing costs rise
BANGKOK -- Asian stock markets fell Wednesday as Europe's festering debt crisis overshadowed figures showing that Americans increased their retail spending for a fifth straight month.
Date: 11/16/2011 | Nation & World
Boomers' anxiety about retirement grows, poll finds
WASHINGTON — A majority of baby boomers say they have taken a financial hit in the past three years and most now doubt that they will be financially secure after they retire, according to a new poll.
Date: 11/10/2011 | Nation & World
11/11/11 sparks a slew of predictions
MINNEAPOLIS -- Doomsday prophets think it will be the beginning of the end for life on Earth. New Age adherents are predicting that it will usher in a period of unprecedented love. And a whole lot of people plan to use it simply as an excuse to party.
Date: 11/09/2011 | Nation & World
Asian stocks gain after Italian premier agrees to resign
BANGKOK -- Asian stocks climbed Wednesday, bolstered by easing inflation in China and Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi's promise to resign once a new budget is passed that could prevent the country being engulfed in a debt crisis.
Date: 11/09/2011 | Nation & World
Groupon shares rise 31 percent on 1st day
LOS ANGELES -- Groupon Inc.'s first day of trading had all the hallmarks of the dot-com boom, including a big stock jump for an unprofitable company.
Date: 11/05/2011 | Business
Job market improves modestly as unemployment falls
WASHINGTON — The American job market improved modestly in October, and economists looking deeper into the numbers found reasons for optimism — or at least what counts for optimism in this agonizingly slow economic recovery.
Date: 11/04/2011 | Business
401(k) matches resume for 75 percent of companies
DES MOINES, Iowa — Few areas are spared when it comes to corporate belt tightening. During the economic downturn, employees felt the impact of cutbacks in hiring, raises, and even contributions to their 401(k) plans.
Date: 11/03/2011 | Business
Asia stocks down as Greek vote plan rocks markets
BANGKOK -- Asian stocks slumped for a third day today, as fears intensified that Greece might reject an austerity plan and default on its massive debts.
Date: 11/02/2011 | Nation & World
Asia stocks rise on hopes for Europe debt action
BANGKOK -- Asian stock markets moved cautiously higher today as European leaders inched toward a plan for containing a debt crisis that threatens to derail global economic growth.Benchmark oil hovered above $83 per barrel while the dollar gained against the euro but fell against the yen.
Date: 09/28/2011 | Nation & World
Asian stocks mixed ahead of Fed meeting outcome
BANGKOK -- Asian stocks were mixed Wednesday as investors fearful of a debt implosion in Europe held onto hopes that the Federal Reserve will announce measures to jolt the U.S. economy.
Date: 09/20/2011 | Nation & World
Asia stocks dragged down by selloff in Europe
BANGKOK -- Asian stocks fell Tuesday, dragged down by sharp losses in European markets the day before as fears mounted of a worsening global economy.
Date: 09/05/2011 | Nation & World
Retail stores report solid gains for August
NEW YORK -- Americans kept shopping in August despite a month of bad news.
Date: 09/02/2011 | Business
U.S. factory orders increase sharply
WASHINGTON -- U.S. factory orders rose strongly in July on the biggest jump in demand for autos in more than eight years and a surge in commercial airplane orders. The increase suggests supply chain disruptions created by the Japan crisis are easing.
Date: 09/01/2011 | Business
Losing sleep over the market, part 2
Are you a risk taker?A gambler?Welcome to today's stock market.In the past few weeks, the market has set a record for the number of 400-point swings, down and up. They've left my stomach a little queasy. Perhaps you're feeling the same way.
Date: 08/22/2011 | Business
Asia stocks muted as mixed economic signs weighed
BANGKOK -- Asian stock markets were mixed Wednesday as investors weighed weaker-than-expected economic growth in the 17 countries that use the euro against data showing that U.S. manufacturing is on the upswing again.
Date: 08/16/2011 | Nation & World
Request to nix hedge fund founder's verdict denied
NEW YORK -- A New York judge has rejected a request by lawyers for a one-time billionaire convicted in an insider trading case to reverse the jury verdict.
Date: 08/16/2011 | Nation & World
European stocks rebound as banks recover
BRUSSELS — European stocks rebounded Thursday as banks recouped some hefty losses despite ongoing concerns over their exposure to the debt of countries like Greece and Italy, while Wall Street was poised for a rebound following another rout.
Date: 08/11/2011 | Business
High prices, nervous times start modern-day gold rush
Dave Doolittle knows he's got gold fever.He has been hoarding the metal for more than a year, storing jewelry and every piece he can get his hands on. Doolittle keeps checking the price of gold as it changes by the minute.
Date: 08/09/2011 | Local News
In stock market or not, unease increases for Snohomish County residents
Worried, frustrated, or just waiting again for the economic storm to pass, people throughout Snohomish County seemed to reflect the national unease over Monday's stock market plunge.
Date: 08/09/2011 | Local News
Asian stocks tumble after Wall Street rout
SYDNEY -- Asian equity markets were sharply down early Tuesday as investors fearing a possible global economic slowdown continued to flee stocks.Oil fell below $78 per barrel, toppling to its lowest price of the year on concerns that a slowing global economy could crimp demand for fuel.
Date: 08/08/2011 | Business
Asian stocks drop on fears of recession, debt crisis
BANGKOK -- Asian stock markets tumbled Friday as investors dumped riskier assets amid fears the U.S. is heading back into recession and Europe's debt crisis is worsening.The sell-off in Asia followed the biggest one-day points decline on Wall Street since the 2008 financial crisis.
Date: 08/05/2011 | Business
Global stocks tumble after Wall Street slide
BEIJING — Global stock markets tumbled Friday amid fears the U.S. may be heading back into recession and Europe's debt crisis is worsening. The sell-off follows the biggest one-day points decline on Wall Street since the 2008 financial crisis.
Date: 08/04/2011 | Business
Asian stocks fall as U.S. debt deadlock continues
BEIJING -- Asian stock markets fell Monday after U.S. political leaders failed to reach a deal to raise Washington's debt limit that is crucial to avoiding an impending default.
Date: 07/25/2011 | Nation & World
Administration, GOP clash anew over debt plan
WASHINGTON — With the clock ticking ever louder, Obama administration officials and congressional Republicans clashed anew Sunday over extending the nation's debt limit, with the White House threatening a veto if the government's borrowing authority is not extended through the next...
Date: 07/23/2011 | Nation & World
Zillow shares soar in IPO debut
NEW YORK -- Investors set aside housing market doldrums and rushed to grab shares of the real estate website Zillow on Wednesday, valuing the company at as much as $1.6 billion.
Date: 07/20/2011 | Business
Self-directed IRAs put investors in charge
When you open an IRA at a bank or brokerage firm, you're typically limited to choosing their investment products.And your investment choices are pretty much limited to stocks, mutual funds and bonds.
Date: 07/17/2011 | Business
Congress seeks debt solution, Obama goes to public
WASHINGTON — Racing the debt clock, Congress is working on dual tracks while President Barack Obama appeals to the public in hopes of influencing a deal that talks have failed to produce so far.
Date: 07/16/2011 | Nation & World
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