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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

Oil Closes at $100+ and Stock Rally Fizzles
Just as stocks seemed to be gaining some momentum oil closes at above $100 a barrel for the first time and the rally fizzles. The Dow ended up down over 10 points and the Nasdaq fell by over 15 points. There is concern that the high oil prices will translate into high gas prices during the summer driving months that will reduce consumer spending even more than the weak economy already has. In the video Reuters says OPEC mentioned a supply cut which helped to drive up oil prices.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Stocks Fall to End the Week
Stocks tumbled again during the final day of the week. The Dow lost 1.2% on the week while the Nasdaq eeked out a slight gain. It was a consumer sentiment drop that hurt stocks today as well as a profit warning from JC Penny. The Dow fell 86 points to 12,216. The S&P 500 lost 10 points to 1,315. The Nasdaq gave up 19 points to 2,261. Crude oil prices dropped nearly $2 to settle at $105.62 a barrel.Next week there will be a crucial jobs report that could send stocks falling if it is weak.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Bush Says Administration Will Expand Mortgage-Relief (Update1) - Bloomberg
NECNBush Says Administration Will Expand Mortgage-Relief Update1Bloomberg - 19 hours agoBy David Scheer March 29 Bloomberg -- President George W. Bush said the government will expand efforts to help homeowners avoid foreclosure as Democrats increase pressure on his administration to reduce unaffordable home-loan payments.Bush may expand help for struggling homeowners ReutersCongress poised to tackle tricky mortgage crisis NewsdayImperial Valley News - Voice of America - The Associated Press - Philadelphia Inquirerall 515 news articles

Super Tuesday is Terrible Tuesday for Stock Market
The American public is busy trying to figure out what all these polls mean about who is going to be their partys candidate. Meanwhile, Super Tuesday has turned out to be Terrible Tuesday for the stock market. Todays news that service sector shrank sent stocks in the wrong direction.The volatility that pummeled stocks in January returned with the news that the service sector shrank last month for the first time since March 2003. The report from the Institute for Supply Management wiped out the nascent optimism about the economy that had sent stocks surging higher last week.The report drives a nail into the coffin from investors minds that were in a recession, said Todd Salamone, director of trading at Schaeffers Investment Research. That doesnt mean stock prices in the months ahead will be lower. But when you see headline numbers like this, there tends to be a reactionary sell.The ISM said its index of service sector activity, which accounts for about two-thirds of the economy, dropped below 50, a level that indicates contraction. Economists had expected another month of growth.Its possible the service sector, which includes businesses ranging from restaurants to retailers to banks, could bounce back in February as the manufacturing sector did in January after its December contraction. The benefit of the Federal Reserves two big interest rate cuts in the latter part of January could also help spur the service sector back into growth mode later this year.Marketwatchs entry says the data today is pointing toward a recession.Todays awful numbers:Dow down 370.03 2.93% - biggest one-day point drop for Dow since it dropped 387 points on Aug. 9, 2007.Nasdaq lost 73.28 3.08%Standard and Poors 500 lost 44.18 3.20%Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Christmas Price Index Climbs in 2007
Prices are soaring and it will be more expensive to buy your True Love the Twelve Days of Christmas this year. The PNC Christmas Price Index says the significantly higher price of gold and increased compensation for minimum wage workers will make Christmas more expensiv. The PNC Christmas Price Index is a tongue-in-cheek economic analysis by PNC Wealth Management based on the cost of gifts in The Twelve Days of Christmas.According to the 23rd annual survey, the cost of The Twelve Days of Christmas is $19,507 in 2007, a 3.1 percent increase over last year. The rise in gift prices mirrored the U.S. governments Consumer Price Index. The Consumer Price Index is up 3.5 percent so far this year.Each year, the Christmas Price Index reflects trends in the broader economy, said James Dunigan, managing executive of investments for PNC Wealth Management. This year, increased commodities prices, concerns about the value of the dollar and the first minimum wage increase in 10 years were major factors in the increases to the Christmas Price Index.For example, True Loves are paying more this year for the five Gold rings. You can see an explanation of this below. There is also a video on the PNCs website.True Loves will have to pay a bit more for the five Gold Rings this year, as the jewelers who provide the prices for the rings report having no choice but to pass increased prices along to consumers as the price of gold continues to rise.The cost of the Gold Rings in this years Christmas Price Index reflects the general trend of increasing commodity prices in the Consumer Price Index, including gold, said Dunigan. In addition, increased fears about inflation and the value of the dollar may have led investors to turn to gold as a safer place to invest their money.The price of five gold rings now totals $395, a 21.5 percent increase over 2006 prices, but still nowhere close to 1989 prices, when the five Gold Rings hit an all-time high of $750.Milkmaids Benefit from Minimum Wage IncreaseAs the only unskilled laborers in the Christmas Price Index, the eight Maids-a-Milking make minimum wage, and have not had a raise since 1997. This year, Congress increased their wages by 13.6 percent; bringing the cost of eight Maids-a-Milking for one hour of work to $46.80. The True Love will have to reach deeper into his pockets for the milkmaids in 2008 and 2009, as well - Congress has already approved continued increases to the minimum wage for the next two years.The cost of most performers in the index - the Drummers Drumming, Pipers Piping and Lords-a-Leaping - rose a modest 3 to 4 percent, due primarily to an increase in the performers compensation, reflecting the current labor market in which the unemployment rate is still below 5 percent. Only the price for the Ladies Dancing was unchanged this year, according to Philadanco, a modern dance company in Philadelphia.Food Prices Are For the BirdsAmong the feathered friends in the Christmas Price Index, the most notable increase was a 20 percent change in the price for six Geese-a-Laying, provided by the National Aviary.For True Loves planning to serve a Christmas goose - or six - for a holiday meal, this item will be a bit more expensive, said Dunigan. Food prices have increased over the last year, which has not impacted birds like Turtle Doves and Partridges, but has had an impact on birds traditionally served as food, like Geese.Most of the other bird prices in the index remained even with last years rates, thanks to steady supply and demand for Partridges, Turtle Doves, French Hens and Swans. Aside from the Geese-a-Laying, only the Calling Birds will cost more in 2007. PNC prices the Calling Birds from a national pet store chain, and prices for Calling Birds or canaries were up 25 percent this year, thanks to higher demand and increased shipping costs for retailers.2007: Most Expensive Christmas EverFor those True Loves who prefer to do their shopping online, PNC Wealth Management calculates the cost of The Twelve Days of Christmas gifts purchased on the Web. This year, the trends identified in the traditional index are repeated in the Internet version, with overall growth of 3 percent, very close to the 3.1 percent in the traditional index. This year, the Internet index is very similar to the traditional index. For example, the price of gold is significantly higher online in 2007 compared to 2006. And, as with the traditional Christmas Price Index, bird prices are mostly even with or, in some cases, down a bit from 2006 levels. In general, Internet prices are higher than their non-Internet counterparts because of shipping costs.As part of its annual tradition, PNC Wealth Management also tabulates the True Cost of Christmas, which is the total cost of items gifted by a True Love who repeats all of the songs verses. This holiday season, very generous True Loves will pay more than ever before - $78,100 - for all 364 items, up from $75,122 in 2006. This 4 percent increase is about even with last years 3.5 percent increase.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Striking Colombia nickel miners to vote on offer - Reuters
Mining Journal OnlineStriking Colombia nickel miners to vote on offerReuters - 1 hour agoBOGOTA, March 30 Reuters - Unionized workers at Colombia's Cerro Matoso ferronickel mine will vote on Sunday on a company offer to end a four-week strike that has hit global nickel prices, a labor union leader said.BHP Declares Force Majeure at Mine Houston ChronicleBHP declares force majeure at Colombian nickel mine MarketWatchBloggingStocks - Bloomberg - Market Intelligence Center - Mining MXall 33 news articles

Oil Prices: Sky's The Limit?
Oil has continued soaring. It has now moved past the $92 mark and the question now is will it continue to climb to $100 or fall back? Reuters looks at the soaring oil prices in this video. Reuters says oil may continue upwards due to limited supply and some say traders think it is more likely to hit $100 before retreating back to $80.Direct vidoe linkPermalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

The Credit Crisis: How We Got Here
Sometimes it is worth tacking a look at how we got into this mess in the first place. Reuters has a great recap in the video below. It began with a US housing problem that has quickly mushroomed into a crisis. In this video, Reuters explains how banks begin to tighten credit when a high percentage of subprime mortgages started to become overdue. The loan problem escalated and subprime lender New Century filed bankruptcy. These losses spread to larger banks that have had to write off billions of dollars of debt. Today, the credit problems have not gone away. Home prices are still dropping and inflation is a serious problem. The weakening economy is starting to impact growth and job creation. There are worldwide concerns that the U.S. will fall into a recession and this recessio nwill drag the global economy down with it.Direct video linkPermalink | 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

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

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

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

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

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

Electricity Supplier Offers Ebay Auction
A Connecticut electricity supplier called MXEnergy has found an unusual way to sell energy - by auctioning it on eBay.MXEnergy, one of several electricity suppliers in the states deregulated market, is offering homeowners and small businesses electricity rates that are locked in, similar to power purchases by large commercial and industrial customers.To promote its business among United Illuminatings 320,000 customers, the Stamford-based MXEnergy is auctioning off 1 megawatt of electricity to the highest bidder before Dec. 13. As of Friday afternoon, the highest of 18 bids was $132.50.MXenergy will accept the highest bid on a megawatt, or 1,000 kilowatts, of electricity and divide it by 1,000 to determine the rate at which the winner can purchase up to 10 megawatts in a year after signing up with MXenergy.Thats about how much electricity an average household uses annually, said Jeffrey Mayer, president and chief executive of MXEnergy.MXEnergy has 500,000 customers according to the Fool.com story. The eBay auction listing can be found here.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Global Markets Fall
The BBC is reporting some serious drops in foreign markets -- the biggest drops since stock markets plummeted after 9/11. The FTSE 100 was off 5.5%. Paris and Frankfurt are down 7%.Global stock indexes, including the UK FTSE 100, have fallen their most since the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001 amid fears of a recession.The FTSE 100 index tumbled 5.5% to 5,578.2, wiping ?84bn $163bn off the value of its listed shares.Indexes in Paris and Frankfurt slumped by about 7%, while markets in Asia, India and South America also dropped.Investors questioned whether a recent plan to boost the US economy would be enough to avert a full-blown recession.The U.S. markets are closed today to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday. Marketwatch reports that stock future indicate the DOW will open 500 points down on Tuesday morning.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

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

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.

How High Will Google Go?
Google, which trades on the Nasdaq as GOOG, is getting close to the $600 mark. The stock has been on an incredible ride since it started trading at $85 in 2004.Google, which began trading at $85 in 2004, has the sixth- highest stock price in the U.S. and has surged 27 percent this year. The shares rose $1.84 to $584.39 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market and earlier reached $596.81.The search engine has taken users from Yahoo! Inc. and Microsoft Corp., pushing sales growth to at least 70 percent in each of the past three years. Google plans to lure more Web surfers and advertisers through the YouTube video site, bought last year, and has introduced software to sell mobile ads.Google is still dominating, Piper Jaffray & Co. Web analysts including Gene Munster said in an Oct. 1 report.Munster, in Minneapolis, rates the stock outperform and estimates it will reach $660 within a year as Google parlays its lead in search into other areas of online advertising next year.Google may very well break the $600 mark and even $650 but how much upside can be left for this powerful technology firm? Henry Blodget has suggested GOOG could trade as high as $2,000Remember a couple years back when some analyst floated the idea that Google could eventually be worth $2,000 a share--and was ridiculed from coast to coast? Well, first its worth noting that Google is now almost a third of the way there. Second, its worth noting that $2,000 a share would mean a market cap of about $750 billion, which--given a reasonable time horizon--just isnt that far-fetched.Why? First, from a macro level, in every technology wave, the market leader usually ends up amassing more power, wealth, and market capitalization than the leaders in the prior wave, often by a startling magnitude. The leaders in the last technology wave included Microsoft and Cisco, both of which peaked around $500 billion in market capitalization...Blodgets remark has stirred up controversy among tech and financial bloggers - see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. You can check the latest GOOG quote here on Yahoo Finance.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.comAd: Singers Sing is a music news blog.Feed: Bloglines | Google | Netvibes | Other Readers

Bank of America to Buy Countrywide
Reuters reports that Bank of America is buying Countrywide for $4 billion.The purchase marks another acquisition for Bank of America Chief Executive Kenneth Lewis, who has spent more than $100 billion since 2004 to create the second-largest U.S. bank and the nations largest consumer bank.It also provides a lifeline for Countrywide, which became a poster child for what critics say were lending excesses that fueled the housing and credit meltdown.The largest U.S. mortgage lender has been convulsed by mounting losses and defaults, a loss of access to credit markets, and a slew of lawsuits and regulatory probes into its lending practices and Chief Executive Angelo Mozilos pay. On Tuesday, it denied rumors that it might go bankrupt.Countrywide has been hit very hard by the housing and credit problems. The deal is a big save for them and their shareholders but there are questions about what it means for Bank of America. SeekingAlpha says Bank of America will lose billions in the deal to acquire Countrywide. The Economist calls BofAs purchase a big gamble. Time will tell but it does sound like a risky acquisition.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

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

Holiday Sales Predicted to Increase 4%
DMNews reports that the National Retail Federation NRF is predicting holiday sales to increase by 4% this year to $447.5 billion. Technology will once again be a hot item. Even fashion is getting more high tech this year according to the NRF.In the fashion and apparel categories, expect to see evening wear and diamonds driving sales. In addition, tailored denim products - across mens, womens and childrens wear - will be a hot item. Womens boots also will help drive sales this holiday season, with a focus on three-quarter length boots rather than knee length.Interestingly, fashion will be getting more high tech this season.Technology is having an impact on fashion, said Dan Butler, VP of retail operations and merchandising at the National Retail Federation. Whether its sweaters or vests designed to hold handheld accessories and iPods, or handbags, which are designed for these devices, we are going to see a lot more of these kinds of products this season.IPod and cell phone accessories will be popular tickets this year, including a new breed of accessories designed to hold these items in the home. Expect to see more widescreen televisions under the tree this year, along with widescreen computer monitors, as the prices of these products have come down.Online sales - which have been rising year after year - will surely grow again this year.Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

Bernanke Says Some Small Banks May Fail
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said in testimony in front of U.S. Congress today that there could be some bank failures because of the ongoing credit crisis. The AP reports that Bernanke did says that the large U.S. banks will likely recover but it is disturbing to hear he expects some small bank failures.Bernanke, testifying before Congress, said that while the large U.S. banks will likely recover from the recent credit crisis, others could fail.Implying that some banks may fail stirs concerns for any investor whos familiar with financial and economic history, said Hugh Johnson, chairman and chief investment officer of Johnson Illington Advisors. Investors have been very edgy about credit market conditions and banks financial conditions. Very edgy. And this doesnt remove that edginess.Earlier, stocks had fallen in response to a Labor Department report that first-time unemployment claims rose last week by 19,000 to 373,000, the highest level since late January.Scott Wren, equity strategist for A.G. Edwards & Sons, said he still believes theres less than a 50 percent chance of a recession, but that its clear employers are cautious about hiring.To consistently see claims up near 400,000, thats pretty telling often-times of a recession, he said.On the positive side Bernanke doesnt anticipate a return to the stagflation periods of the 1970s - although with gas forecast to exceed $4 a gallon not everyone is convinced. Marketwatch reports that stocks are lower today following Bernankes words and news that last years GDP growth was just 0.6%Permalink | Recent Headlines | WWFeeds.com

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