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Jobs Report Shows Weakening Economy
Yesterdays jobs report told a tale of weakness. The U.S. economy lost over 60,000 jobs in the short month of February and over 20,000 jobs in January. An AP article says the pink slips have increased and some economists hear the recession bell ringing.The grim snapshot of the countrys employment climate underscored the heavy toll the housing and credit debacles are taking on companies, jobseekers and the economy as a whole.It sounds like the recession bell is ringing for the U.S. economy, although it is still faint, said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group.On Wall Street, stocks tumbled. The Dow Jones lost 146.70 points, a little more than 1 percent to close at 11,893.69. The Dow was down 370 for the last two days of the week.The worsening situation will prompt the Federal Reserve to cut a key interest rate deeply -- perhaps by as much as three-quarters of a percentage point -- at its next meeting March 18, or possibly sooner, to help brace the teetering economy, analysts predicted.The shower of pink slips was widespread. Factories, construction companies, mortgage brokers, real-estate firms, retailers, temporary-help firms, child day-care providers, hotels, educational services, accounting firms and computer designers were among those shedding jobs. All those cuts swamped job gains at hospitals and other health care sites, bars and restaurants, legal services and the government.President Bush was quick to reassure everyone that the economy is not in a recession. Bush said, I know this is a difficult time for our economy, but we recognized the problem early and provided the economy with a booster shot. We will begin to see the impact over the coming months.Less and less people are expecting the quick recovery that President Bush is. With the DOW falling under the 12,000 mark Friday next week could be a difficult one.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

UBS to mark down auction-rate securities - CNNMoney.com
PravdaUBS to mark down auction-rate securitiesCNNMoney.com - 3 hours agoTORONTO Thomson Financial - UBS NYSE:UBS AG said Friday it is cutting the value of auction-rate securities in its brokerage customers' accounts, the first confirmation that problems with the securities have eroded the principal holdings of investors.3 Firms Are Asked for Data on Auction-Rate Shares New York TimesUBS, Merrill, Bank of America Auction Sales Probed Update4 BloombergForbes - Wall Street Journal - Reuters - Boston Heraldall 54 news articles

Electronic Arts extends tender offer for Take-Two - MarketWatch
BBC NewsElectronic Arts extends tender offer for Take-TwoMarketWatch - 2 hours agoBy MarketWatch NEW YORK MarketWatch -- Electronic Arts Inc. said Friday that it's amending its tender offer for Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. in light of the video-game publisher's latest rejection of its bid.EA Extends Offer for Take-Two Wall Street JournalElectronic Arts extends Take-Two offer deadline ReutersBusinessWeek - CNNMoney.com - FOXBusiness - RTT Newsall 445 news articles

American Axle strike tips US nearer recession as GM, suppliers ... - Detroit Free Press
ServihooAmerican Axle strike tips US nearer recession as GM, suppliers ...Detroit Free Press - 11 hours agoBY JEWEL GOPWANI ? FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER ? March 30, 2008 At the beginning of this year, it seemed like Detroit's great labor battles were over, after industry-changing deals at the Detroit automakers and the likes of parts giant Delphi Corp.GM's Broken Axle BusinessWeekStrike at American Axle To Shut Another GM Plant Wall Street JournalMLive.com - Reuters - AFP - DetNews.comall 179 news articles

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

IACs Diller wins court battle with Liberty - Reuters
IAC's Diller wins court battle with LibertyReuters - 15 hours agoBy Michele Gershberg NEW YORK Reuters - IAC/InterActiveCorp IACI.O: Quote, Profile, Research chief Barry Diller on Friday won a bitter legal dispute with Liberty Media Corp's John Malone, paving the way for him to proceed with efforts to spin off ...Barry Diller Wins as Court Allows His 5-Way Division of IAC New York TimesBarry Diller Can't Be Ousted From IAC Board by John Malone BloombergCNNMoney.com - Wall Street Journal - Conde Nast Portfolio - FOXBusinessall 247 news articles

Worst Day of 2008 For Stocks
Stocks plunge again as concerns about the economy continue. Marketwatch reports that the DOW is now at a 10-month low. Today was also the worst day of the year for the stock market. It has been a short year and it hasnt been a good year at all so far.When reminded about how bad things are, the market remembers it should go down, said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Jefferies & Co.And, it is going to take more than just monetary policy to clean up the mess weve made with this economy, Hogan said.The Philadelphia Fed Survey was a disaster, defying even the most pessimistic projections, said Frederic Ruffy, an analyst at Optionetics.Heres a look at the numbers.DOW - lost 300 points - 2.5%. Hits 10-month low.NASDAQ - lost 47.69 points - 2%S&P 500 - lost 39.94 points - 2.9%.The tumble began when the Philadelphia Fed reported dismal figures.Shortly before the Fed chairman spoke, the Philadelphia Fed said its measure of manufacturing activity feel sharply to a negative 20.9 from a revised reading of negative 1.6 in December. The report underscored the seriousness of the economic concerns that have in recent weeks drawn the focus of both Wall Street and Washington.The Philadelphia Fed just announced dreadful numbers, said John ODonoghue, co-head of equities at Cowen & Co. He said if you look back at Philadelphia Fed data for similar numbers, it takes you back to the 2001 to 2002 recession.Its not rocket science - the economy is slowing dramatically, and its being reflected in economic reports.Bloomberg says Merrill Lynchs huge 4th quarter loss also played a role in the bad day on Wall Street.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Economy Growing Very Slowly
The GDP grew 2.2% in 2007 and slow 0.6% in the fourth quarter of 2007. Raw Story says economists were expecting 1.2% growth in Q4.For all of 2007, the economy grew by just 2.2 percent, the weakest performance in five years, when the country was struggling to recover from the 2001 recession. The housing collapse dealt the economy its biggest blow last year. Builders slashed spending on housing projects by 16.9 percent on an annualized basis, the most in 25 years.The economy has been subject to something of the perfect storm here. It has been hit by the housing slump the credit squeeze, the subprime slime and stock price declines on Wall Street, said economist Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. The economy is weathering some pretty stormy seas but it is weak.The fourth-quarters performance was much weaker -- half the pace -- than economists were expecting. They were forecasting growth to clock in a 1.2 percent pace.The 0.6 percent annualized increase in gross domestic product GDP marked a big loss of momentum from the third quarters brisk, 4.9 percent showing. The fourth-quarter pace was the slowest since the first quarter of last year.IDEAglobals chief U.S. economist calls it stall speed according to MarketWatch.com. The GDP hit stall speed, wrote Joseph Brusuelas, chief U.S. economist at IDEAglobal.GDP hadnt been any slower since the end of 2002, when the economy was struggling to recover from the recession a year earlier.The 1st quarter 2008 GDP is going to be interested. Will the economy tread along, pick up speed or start to step into a recession?Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Clear Channel says buyout may collapse - Reuters
EarthtimesClear Channel says buyout may collapseReuters - 20 hours agoNEW YORK Reuters - Radio broadcaster Clear Channel Communications Inc said on Friday its pending $20 billion buyout may collapse, as the banks had failed to provide funding for the deal under previously agreed terms.Clear Channel Defers Dividend Wall Street JournalUPDATE:Clear Channel,Buyers Want Suit Kept In Texas State Court CNNMoney.comForbes - Bizjournals.com - Boston Globe - The Associated Pressall 564 news articles

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

Navteqs sale faces a detour - Chicago Tribune
PhoneMag.comNavteq's sale faces a detourChicago Tribune - Mar 29, 2008By Wailin Wong | Tribune reporter March 29, 2008 European antitrust regulators have raised concerns over the acquisition of Chicago-based digital map provider Navteq by Finnish cell phone-maker Nokia, delaying an $8.1 billion deal that is poised to ...Nokia's Navteq Acquisition Faces In-Depth EU Probe Update4 BloombergEU Opens Antitrust Probe Of Nokia-Navteq Deal Wall Street JournalCNNMoney.com - Reuters - The Associated Press - Forbesall 155 news articles

Markets React to Bear Sterns, Weekend Fed Action
JP Morgan Chase has snatched up Bear Sterns in a rapid transaction for a huge discount of $2 a share. JPMorgan Chase & Co. agreed to buy Bear Stearns Cos. for $240 million, about 90 percent less than its value last week, after a run on the company ended 85 years of independence for Wall Streets fifth-largest securities firm.Shareholders of Bear Stearns will get stock in JPMorgan equivalent to about $2 a share, compared with $30 at the close on March 14, the New York-based companies said in a statement late yesterday. The Federal Reserve is providing financial backing to JPMorgan, the second-biggest U.S. bank, and also cut the rate on direct loans to banks in its first emergency weekend action in almost three decades to stave off a broader market panic. The Fed also moved in with a rare weekend move and dropped the emergency lending rate a quarter of a point. President Bush also weighed in predicting a turnaround. President Bush rushed to strike a note of calm to the turbulent situation on Monday morning, hailing the Feds action and saying: Weve taken strong decisive action. The president spoke after meeting at the White House with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and other members of his economic team. Were in challenging times, Bush said.Despite all the action to help prevent losses stocks are still in negative territory again today. The Financial Times says investors are waiting for the next domino to fall.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Greenspan Sees Recession Risk
The BBC reports that former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan - who blasted Bush in his book - has warned that US economic growth has stalled and a quick recovery is not likely.As of right now US economic growth is at zero, he said, adding the longer it stayed this way the greater the risk of a deep recession.Wall Street giants Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch have both forecast that the US economy will contract in 2008.The US Federal Reserve has said 2008 growth will be between 1.3% and 2%.The forecast, made last week, was half a percent lower than the Feds previous estimation.The gloomy outlook was blamed on falling house prices, reduced bank lending, turmoil in the financial markets and higher oil prices.If the gloomy outlook isnt enough Greenspan also thinks oil will keep rising and that the housing mark will provide more concern before it gets better.Mr Greenspan also predicted that booming oil prices, which reached a record of more than $101 last week would keep rising and that the US housing market would see more misery before the tide turned.Greenspan isnt alone. Just yesterday there were reports that more analysts have jumped on the recession is likely bandwagon. If we do dip into an actual recession how long will we stay there? Thats the next question that needs answering.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Apple Takes a Drubbing
Apple AAPL has been taking a beating on Wall Street today. The stock is down over 10%. The reason isnt the companys holiday performance but the possibility of a weaker future. Forbes is asking if one bad Apple could spoil the bunch - meaning could Apple weakness spill over into other tech stocks. Its hard to see gadgets having as good a year this year as they did last year if we are heading into a recession.To some extent, its a case of one bad Apple AAPL spoiling the bunch. Steve Jobs & Co. is seen as the most innovative, growth-producing group in tech. And if the U.S. consumers economic troubles are starting to rattle mighty Apple, high fliers like Research In Motion RIMM and Google GOOG might not be immune, either.Indeed, Apples holiday performance showed signs that the companys not unstoppable in 2008. In particular, Apples cautious outlook, weakness in U.S. iPod growth and the unpredictability of iPhone sales left Wall Streets pessimists plenty of reason to doubt. And in this jittery market, those pessimists have a lot of power.First, a recap of Apples good news - and there was plenty of it. Apple turned in revenue of $9.6 billion and profit of $1.6 billion for the holiday quarter, blowing past the average analyst estimate. The company shipped a record 2.3 million Intel INTC-based Macs during the period, and actually sold as many iPhones as computers. In the process Apple generated $2.7 billion in cash, bringing its war chest to $18.4 billion.But there was troubling news, too. On the conference call with analysts, Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer admitted that iPod sales merely met the companys expectations, rather than exceeding them. Part of the reason, he said, was that U.S. iPod sales weakened in December - it took overseas sales to make up the difference. In the U.S., in the gift-buying season, we saw a slightly different curve, he said. That was made up for in our very, very good growth internationally.Apple did have a great holiday quarter but what will happen to Apple in the first three quarters of this year with consumers fighting off a recession and rising prices? Thats the question investors are asking about Apple and many other gadget manufacturers. There are also concerns that if people already have any iPod will they might not be as excited about owning the latest and greatest iPod - especially if things get tight.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Fremont General says FDIC orders recapitalization of bank and ... - CNNMoney.com
Fremont General says FDIC orders recapitalization of bank and ...CNNMoney.com - 42 minutes agoNEW YORK, Mar. 28, 2008 Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex -- Fremont General NYSE:FMT PR NYSE:FMT Corp. Friday said the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issued a supervisory prompt corrective action directive to the company and to its ...Fremont Ordered to Recapitalize Wall Street JournalFremont Ordered by FDIC to Find Buyer; Curbs Imposed Update3 BloombergReuters - FOXBusiness - Housing Wire - 24/7 Wall St.all 20 news articles

Is the Stimulus Payment Automatic? - Wall Street Journal
NY1Is the Stimulus Payment Automatic?Wall Street Journal - 14 hours agoBy TOM HERMAN Q: We've already filed our taxes and didn't see where we were to file for our stimulus payment. Do we need to file for this, or is it automatically done?Veterans get weekend tax help Desert DispatchAARP tax aides keeping busy The Register-GuardWWBT - Port Huron Times Herald - Chicago Tribune - Clarksville Leaf Chronicleall 427 news articles

The Falling U.S. Dollar
Whats happening to the dollar? It is worth less today than the loonie and the Euro seems to be increasing its value over the dollar each day. Lindsay Campbell from Wallstrip tries to hand some out dollars in this humorous video clip but she has trouble finding takers. You can track the latest currency rates here on Bloomberg.com.Direct video linkPermalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Mitsubishi Heavy, Areva in Talks to Make, Sell Nuclear Fuel - Bloomberg
BBC NewsMitsubishi Heavy, Areva in Talks to Make, Sell Nuclear FuelBloomberg - 5 hours agoBy Hiroshi Matsui March 28 Bloomberg -- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Japan's largest maker of industrial machinery, has begun talks with Areva SA of France to develop and sell fuel for nuclear power plants, according to a company document.Mitsubishi to make passenger jets United Press InternationalM'bishi Heavy:To raise jet venture capital in 1 yr ReutersBBC News - Turkish Press - FOXBusiness - Wall Street Journalall 275 news articles

Is Google Over? - Motley Fool
Sioux City JournalIs Google Over?Motley Fool - Mar 28, 2008By Rick Aristotle Munarriz March 28, 2008 Shares of Google Nasdaq: GOOG fell yesterday on the heels of another comScore report that shows weakness in the number of clicks that Google ads are receiving.Report Shows Decline In Google Paid-Search-Ad Clicks In US CNNMoney.comGoogle's Ad-Click Data Disappoint Wall Street JournalBloomberg - Forbes - Detroit Free Press - InternetRetailer.comall 387 news articles

BA cancels flights as chaos persists at Heathrow T5 - Reuters
Edmonton JournalBA cancels flights as chaos persists at Heathrow T5Reuters - 43 minutes agoBy David Clarke LONDON Reuters - British Airways Plc cancelled a fifth of flights from its new $8.6 billion terminal at London's Heathrow airport on Friday as chaos from its shambolic opening spilled into a second day.British Airways Cancels Flights as T5 Chaos Continues Update2 BloombergBA Expects More Cancellations As Problems at Terminal 5 Continue Wall Street JournalMarketWatch - Times Online - USA Today - BBC Newsall 1,678 news articles

Schering-Plough, Merck&s Vytorin Fails Artery Study (Update1) - Bloomberg
Dog Flu Diet and DiseasesSchering-Plough, Merck's Vytorin Fails Artery Study Update1Bloomberg - 29 minutes agoBy Shannon Pettypiece and Michelle Fay Cortez March 30 Bloomberg -- Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp.'s cholesterol pill Vytorin didn't slow clogging of the arteries better than an older, cheaper drug, prompting doctors to say the medicine should ...Journal Issues Warning on Two Cholesterol Drugs New York TimesVytorin Study Shows Little Change In Artery Thickness CNNMoney.comForbes - Wall Street Journal - Reuters - WANDall 86 news articles

Why the Paulson Plan is DOA - BusinessWeek
Boston GlobeWhy the Paulson Plan is DOABusinessWeek - 1 hour agoLet?s see. In the middle of perhaps the greatest financial upheaval since the Great Depression, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson is proposing a change in financial regulations which basically amounts to a big wink to Wall Street.News Analysis In Treasury Plan, a Reluctant Eye Over Wall Street New York TimesKeeping US Financial Markets Competitve ForbesFOXBusiness - Bloomberg - Reuters - Chicago Tribuneall 916 news articles

Maguire Properties Says Its No Longer Pursuing Sale (Update1) - Bloomberg
RTT NewsMaguire Properties Says It's No Longer Pursuing Sale Update1Bloomberg - 2 hours agoBy Alan Mirabella March 28 Bloomberg -- Maguire Properties Inc., the biggest office landlord in downtown Los Angeles, said it's no longer pursuing a sale of the company because no viable bids emerged.Maguire Properties says not to pursue sale ReutersMaguire Properties says no longer actively considering sale of the ... ForbesHouston Chronicle - RTT News - FOXBusiness - 24/7 Wall St.all 26 news articles

Clear Channel Says Private-Equity Buyout May Collapse (Update3) - Bloomberg
Edmonton JournalClear Channel Says Private-Equity Buyout May Collapse Update3Bloomberg - 56 minutes agoBy Don Jeffrey March 28 Bloomberg -- Clear Channel Communications Inc., the biggest US radio broadcaster, said its sale to private- equity firms may collapse after banks backed out of financing the $19.5 billion deal.Clear Channel fight gets down 'n' dirty CNNMoney.comClear Channel says buyout may not close ReutersWall Street Journal - Bizjournals.com - Forbes - FOXBusinessall 1,429 news articles

JC Penney Plunges After Cutting Profit Forecast (Update1) - Bloomberg
CNBCJC Penney Plunges After Cutting Profit Forecast Update1Bloomberg - 1 hour agoBy Lauren Coleman-Lochner March 28 Bloomberg -- JC Penney Co., the third-largest US department-store chain, plunged the most in more than 20 years in New York trading after the retailer cut its sales and earnings forecasts on slower consumer spending ...JC Penney cuts first-quarter forecast MarketWatchJP Penney Slashes Guidance, Wall Street JournalReuters - CNNMoney.com - Conde Nast Portfolio - RTT Newsall 112 news articles

KB Home Posts $268 Million Loss - Wall Street Journal
KB Home Posts $268 Million LossWall Street Journal - 1 hour agoBy DONNA KARDOS KB Home swung to a fiscal first-quarter loss on charges related to write-downs and the abandonment of certain contracts, as the housing downturn and credit crisis continued to take their toll on the residential builder.KB Home posts quarterly loss ReutersKB Home swings to 1Q loss; revenue falls, misses expectations CNNMoney.comNewsweek - Centre Daily Timesall 100 news articles

Gold Passes $1,000 Mark
Gold traded at a record $1,000 an ounce for the first time today. The news coincides will the recession concerns, the weak dollar and the high price of oil. The BBC reports that since the beginning of 2008 gold has jump 20%. Gold also climbed 32% last year.Since the beginning of the year the value of gold has increased by about 20%, after it rose 32% in 2007.Gold eventually settled for the day at $993.80, up $13.30 an ounce.Analysts say gold will stay high as long as dollar and growth fears remain.Every bit of bad US economic data boosts gold in two ways, said Fortis Bank.First because it reinforces the return of its role as a safe-haven asset, and second because the dollar falls on expectations of further Federal Reserve rate cuts.The price of gold story made all the major newspapers and wire services: Reuters, Guardian, The Independent, Forbes, National Post, USA Today, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Telegraph.co.uk, Bloomberg and New York Times to name a few.A 52% climb in just twelve months might mean gold has climbed too quickly notes USA Today columnist John Waggoner here.If youre hankering to buy gold, you may get a chance to buy it more cheaply in the next month or so. Gold bullion has soared 52% over the past 12 months and 19% this year ? and it may have gotten ahead of itself. But if you want to invest for the long run in gold ? which can have a role in a diversified portfolio ? you have three good options: gold bullion coins, gold exchange-traded funds and gold mutual funds.Then again, Waggoners column also mentions that James DiGeorgia - editor of the Gold and Energy Advisor website - says gold could climb to $2,500 an ounce.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Consumer Spending in US Increased at Slower Pace (Update1) - Bloomberg
Consumer Spending in US Increased at Slower Pace Update1Bloomberg - 2 hours agoBy Bob Willis March 28 Bloomberg -- Spending by US consumers rose in February at the slowest pace in more than a year, another sign the economic expansion may be grinding to a halt.February Spending Flat, Inflation Threat Recedes New York TimesPersonal income stronger than expected CNNMoney.comMarketWatch - Forbes - Wall Street Journal - International Herald Tribuneall 399 news articles