All Economy
In Frankfurt, Europe's banking capital, Occupy soldiers onEven amid last week's record low temperatures in Europe, a hardy group of protesters kept Frankfurt's Occupy encampment going between towering bank buildings.
Obama's budget plan hammers investorsThe president's plan to raise tax revenue could mean disaster for the equity markets.
Apple stock at $500 a share. And climbing?Apple stock hit the $500 mark on Monday. By common valuation standards, Apple stock should be much higher.
America's big wealth gap: Is it good, bad, or irrelevant?The gap between rich and poor is at its widest since the Roaring '20s. Obama complains that it's unfair, but a growing chorus of economists and sociologists say it's worse than that.
Does higher minimum wage increase unemployment?Some say that as unemployment falls, the quality of available workers diminishes, which droves down wages. Is it true?
Five budget realities no politician will talk about (not even Ron Paul) Ron Paul deserves credit for making the boldest proposals of any candidate in the presidential race. The astonishing reality of the federal government’s budget situation, however, is that even his plans might not be enough to keep Uncle Sam out of bankruptcy. While President Obama offers a $3.8 trillion budget that optimistically might cut the federal deficit to $575 billion by 2018, federal data suggest the United States is already broke. The Federal Reserve estimates that the net value of all private assets, including real estate, stocks, bonds, businesses, cash, etc., is $57 trillion. But the Treasury Department estimates the federal government’s net worth is a negative $61 trillion. Here are five budget realities that no candidate wants to acknowledge:
Verizon SNL skit: Is smartphone market too confusing?Verizon and other wireless carriers are marketing so many devices and options that smartphone shopping may be too confusing for the general consumer. Even SNL has poked fun via a Verizon skit.
$1 billion Empire State Building IPO: why it won't be like Facebook IPOThe Empire State Building is set to make a $1 billion IPO, but investors probably won't be as excited as they were about Facebook or other tech IPOs.
In surprise move, GOP leaders admit defeat in payroll tax battleHouse GOP leaders had wanted to offset the cost of a payroll tax extension by spending cuts. But their decision Monday suggests that the political cost of a stalemate was too high.
- Fracking study sends alert about leakage of potent greenhouse gas
A new study finds that fracking is releasing methane, a greenhouse gas, from a Colorado field at a higher rate than estimates suggested. Researchers must determine if the field is an anomaly or part of a bigger problem.
Why do European central bankers sound like Austrian economists?After attending a European Central Bank workshop on global liquidity, the author learned that European monetary economists sound surprisingly like Austrian economists.
Want your business to grow? Learn how to step awayOnce a business starts growing, the entrepreneur faces a challenge: do they work in the business or work on the business?
EU approves Google's $12.5B Motorola Mobility acquisitionEU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a statement Monday that regulators didn't believe the transaction itself raised any competitive problems.
How to find a retirement saving plan that works for youEveryone has a different idea for how they want to spend their retirement. Given how varied people's goals are, why is it reasonable to think that everyone should have the same retirement saving plan?
Does Obama blueprint reduce budget deficit fast enough?US budget deficit, which has hit $1 trillion for four straight years, would fall to $900 billion in 2013, under Obama's budget blueprint released Monday. It is slated to keep falling, but even by 2018 would barely satisfy credit-rating firms.
Corporate boards are missing the big picture – and profitsBoards of directors need to maximize value for stakeholders, not just shareholders. Why? It's good business.
Signs of a Hong Kong real estate bubble?The price of residential properties in Hong Kong declined 3.8 percent since November, according to a report by the University of Hong Kong.
Despite riots, Greece pushes ahead with austerityThe Greek Parliament voted last night to slash the minimum wage and public sector jobs in exchange for a bailout, despite public fury that led to Molotov cocktails and tear gas.
Consumer confidence slidesEarly reports indicate that consumer expectations will drop in February, indicating that consumers are tightening even further on spending.
Tech stocks: Hold Apple. Be selective on others.Tech stocks have engendered a lot of skepticism, but certain tech stocks are attractively priced, analysts say, even Apple.
