Market Gawk

For investors, the 2008 gloomfest is one party that can’t end too soon. Here are five factors that might finally lift Wall Street out of its funk

Original post by FeedZilla

Tokyo’s Nikkei rose over 2 per cent as markets rallied, with financial shares in the lead, as talk of a rescue plan for US bond insurer Ambac eased worries about global credit markets

Original post by FeedZilla

SEATTLE (MarketWatch) — The resignation of America’s unheeded and under-funded chief accountant and watchdog, along with the billion-dollar bullhorn he’s been given, are the ultimate sell signals for America’s stock investors.

Original post by FeedZilla

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — Asian markets started the week with strong gains Monday, led by an advance in banking shares such as Mizuho Financial Group in Tokyo, National Australia Bank in Sydney and Kookmin Bank in Seoul.

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SAN DIEGO (MarketWatch) — From the ”nice work if you can get it” department: With the options Robert Meers got as chief executive of lululemon athletica, a Canadian yoga-apparel maker, there was little doubt that he would hit the jackpot.

Original post by FeedZilla

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — Citigroup Inc. plans to lay off 10% of staff at its Japanese wholesale brokerage Nikko Citigroup Ltd., as part of a company-wide downsizing in the wake of losses stemming from investments tied to U.S. mortgages, according to a Japanese media report Tuesday. The workforce cuts should amount to 170 of 1,750 jobs at the Japanese brokerage, the Nikkei business daily reported Monday, without citing its source. Tokyo-listed shares of Citigroup were down 1.3% in early Monday trade.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

Original post by FeedZilla

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — Toyota Motor Corp. is planning to establish research units for vehicle safety, alternative energy and new materials technologies in the U.S., breaking from its long-held tradition of basing such endeavors in Japan, according to a Japanese media report Monday. Toyota will set up research teams of 30 to 40 members at its engineering and manufacturing facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Nikkei business daily reported Monday. The teams will be comprised of researchers from Japan and others recruited from U.S. universities and research institutions. The report did not specify a timeline for setting up the new units. Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

Original post by FeedZilla

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) — Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd will begin accepting orders for commercial satellite launches from next month using a rocket developed through a government-led project, the Nikkei business daily reported Monday, citing comments by President Kazuo Tsukuda. The first customers are likely to be U.S. and South Korean telecommunications companies, who are expected to sign commercial launch agreements for February 2009 using the new-generation H-IIA rocket, the report said. The rocket, which has been used for government satellite launches since its first lift off in 2001, was transferred to Mitsubishi Heavy for commercialization last spring. The company plans to charge about 10 billion yen ($93 million) per launch. Shares of Mitsubishi Heavy were up 0.8% at midday in Tokyo.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

Original post by FeedZilla

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Electronic Arts Inc. on Sunday made a all-cash bid of $2 billion for Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. , despite earlier rebuffs from the company. The offer of $26 per share represents a premium of 64% to Take-Two’s share price on Feb. 15, the last day before EA sents its revised takeover proposal to TakeTwo. Electronic Arts said its proposal was contained in a letter sent on Feb. 19 by EA Chief Executive Officer John Riccitiello to Strauss Zelnick, executive chairman of the board of Take-Two. The Take-Two Board’s subsequent rejection of the EA proposal led to EA’s decision to release the letter and bring its proposal to the attention of all Take-Two shareholders, the company said in a statement on Sunday.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

Original post by FeedZilla

Skittish. Confused. Insane. One or maybe all of those words describes the current market environment. For days now we’ve had mini-rallies sparked by some seemingly good news which have been met hours later with selling based on seemingly horrible news. That cycle repeated again on Friday when, at about […]

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