citi trade business

Abu Dhabi Invests in Citigroup
The oil rich government of Abu Dhabi has decided to help save Citigroup from its credit woes. The IHT reports that the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is purchasing a $7.5 billion stake in Citigroup.By agreeing to purchasing a $7.5 billion stake in the faltering banking giant Citigroup, the secretive, government-controlled Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is breaking with tradition.As the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, with assets estimated at $650 billion, it poured money in the past into low-return, low-profile investments or small emerging market deals, unlike its flashy emirate neighbor, Dubai.But a falling dollar and a growing cash pile are spurring Abu Dhabi to change strategy, according to analysts, economists and deal makers, who said that more big-ticket deals might be ahead.Flush with cash from its oil exports, Abu Dhabi turned to Wall Street, using a complicated transaction late Monday to buy 4.9 percent of Citigroup, acquiring high-yield, convertible stock that must be exchanged for common stock between March 2010 and September 2011.Abu Dhabi will obtain a 4.9 percent stake in Citigroup with the investment. The move comes just after Citigroups shares hit a five-year low.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Dow Up Over 400 Points
News that the Fed is going to provide additional liquidity for the credit markets help boost stocks to huge gains today The Dow scored its best one day percentage increase in 5 years according to Reuters. The Dow climbed 416 on the day and the Nasdaq was up 86 points.At the same time cities are starting to feel the impact of the tough housing markets. There are more homeless people. There is more crime. There are less revenues for U.S. cites.The mortgage foreclosure crisis has caused a drop in cities revenues, a spike in crime, more homelessness and an increase in vacant properties, a survey of elected local officials out today shows.About two-thirds of 211 officials surveyed by the National League of Cities reported an increase in foreclosures in their cities in the past year, according to the online and e-mail questionnaire. A third of them reported a drop in revenues and an increase in abandoned and vacant properties and urban blight.Theres a reduction in revenues at the same time that more services are needed, says Cynthia McCollum, president of the National League of Cities and councilwoman in Madison, Ala., a suburb of Huntsville. Because of foreclosures, people are stealing, crime is on the rise and we dont have more money for cops on the street.The market had a boost today but the foreclosure crisis is worsening.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Will December Be Better for Investors?
Reuters sums up the past week in this video clip. Last week ended an awful month for stocks - the worst for the Dow in five years. The Feds plan to ease interest rates at least somehwat. Oil prices finally dropped and there was the major Abu Dhabi investment that helped Citigroup. Now that we are in December the focus should return to retail. If sales arent strong it might be another ugly month for investors.Direct video linkPermalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Air France Refuses to Budge on Job Cuts at Alitalia (Update1) - Bloomberg
CitizenAir France Refuses to Budge on Job Cuts at Alitalia Update1Bloomberg - 1 hour agoBy Flavia Rotondi and Andrea Rothman March 28 Bloomberg -- Air France-KLM Group, Europe's biggest airline, refused to back down on plans to cut 2100 jobs at takeover target Alitalia SpA in a document submitted to the Italian company's unions.Air France-KLM sticks to its guns in Alitalia talks MarketWatchAlitalia unions critical but won't boycott talks ReutersCNNMoney.com - International Herald Tribune - BBC News - Wall Street Journalall 279 news articles

Oppenheimer sees dividend cuts at Citi, Wachovia, others - MarketWatch
EarthtimesOppenheimer sees dividend cuts at Citi, Wachovia, othersMarketWatch - 1 hour agoBy Andrew Dowell , , will likely have to announce dividend cuts next month, as shrinking earnings will make it hard to support current payouts, Oppenheimer analyst Meredith Whitney said Friday in a note to clients.RPT-UPDATE 1-Oppenheimer sees dividend cuts at Citi, Wachovia ReutersAhead of the Bell: Bank Dividends CNNMoney.comBloomberg - Forbes - BusinessWeek - Houston Chronicleall 103 news articles

Microsoft Makes $44.6 Billion Offer to Buy Yahoo
Microsoft has made a surprise $44.6 billion offer to buy Yahoo at $31 per share share.Yahoo issued a statement saying they would consider the offer. Yahoo said that its board will evaluate this proposal carefully and promptly, in the context of Yahoos strategic plans, and pursue the best course of action to maximize long-term value for shareholders.Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said they could help Yahoo compete: We have great respect for Yahoo, and together, we can offer an increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers, publishers, and advertisers while becoming better positioned to compete in the online-services market,Yahoo recently laid off over 1,000 employees. They are a great company with numerous online products including several recently purchased social media sites like Blo.gs and del.icio.us. They also have a significant media side with original content and acquisitions like Rivals.com. It will be interesting to see whether Microsoft can convince Yahoo shareolders that this is the best option for them or whether Yahoo shareholders believe the company can do better by staying independent.Yahoos shares YHOO are up over 44% on news of the deal reports Marketwatch.Google shares are down significantly on the news because of concerns that a Microsoft-Yahoo merger could threaten Googles search and online advertising dominance.Microsoft views Yahoo as its best chance to thwart Google, which has leveraged its leadership in Internet search and advertising to emerge as an increasingly serious threat to the worlds largest software makers persuasive influence on how people interact with computers.Google already controls nearly 60 percent of the U.S. search market, and has been widening its lead, despite concerted efforts by both second-place Yahoo and third-place Microsoft. By combining, Microsoft and Yahoo would have a 33 percent share of the U.S. search market, according to the latest data from comScore Media Metrix.By joining forces, Microsoft and Yahoo also would widen their narrowing advantage over Google in providing free e-mail accounts -- a service that helps foster more loyalty with users and create more advertising opportunities.Google shares GOOG are down 9% on the news in early trading today.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.comAdvertisement:Find flowers, greeting cards, candy, gift ideas and morein ShoppersShop.coms Valentines Day Shopping section.

US stocks get starting lift from Lehman upgrade - MarketWatch
Conde Nast PortfolioUS stocks get starting lift from Lehman upgradeMarketWatch - 52 minutes agoBy Kate Gibson, MarketWatch NEW YORK MarketWatch -- US stocks on Friday offered an opening rise, supported by Citigroup Inc.'s upgrade of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and as Accenture Ltd.Lehman Upgraded by Citigroup on `Ample' Liquidity Update2 BloombergCiti says Lehman has ample liquidity ReutersForbes - Conde Nast Portfolio - National Post - StreetInsider.com subscriptionall 24 news articles

Many U.S. Citizens Think Recession is Already Here
The dreaded R word is now being used commonly in news stories and polls. A new AP-Ipsos poll has found that 61% of U.S. citizens believe the country is already in a recession. 59% are worried about their stocks and retirement investments. Technically the economy needs to shrink for two consecutive quarters or six straight months see recession definition for it to count as a recession but for the people suffering in a struggling economy the technical definition doesnt really matter. Another poll found that most people think a Democrat and not a Republican would best be able to get the nation out of a recession - that might be a sign of the way the election is going to go in November. Even author Stephen King is weighing in. Hes slamming the economic pundits who think a recession would help purge the system.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com