"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader

Mining a Richer Seam of Jobs

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 07:09 PM PST

Among U.S. workers who make their living using their muscles, those employed in the mining and drilling industries face brighter prospects than those who work in factories.

Egypt Curbs Islamist Campaign

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 05:45 PM PST

Muslim Brotherhood supporters are subject to arrests and obstacles as they campaign for a parliamentary vote seen as a prelude to presidential elections.

Second Mortgages Trip Up Short Sales

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 05:16 PM PST

Real-estate agents, lenders and federal policy makers have pointed to short sales as one way to revive moribund housing markets while helping troubled borrowers avoid foreclosure. But second mortgages are tripping up many short-sale efforts.

Traders' Targets: Portugal and Spain

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 05:17 PM PST

Investors are concerned that European countries' funding problems could spread to much-bigger economies, such as Spain, Italy or even France, where a bailout could be impractical.

Dissenters Gain Clout on Fed Panel

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 04:09 PM PST

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is likely to face some new dissenting votes when the make-up of the Federal Open Market Committee, the central bank's policy-making committee, changes in January.

'Controlled Chaos' Reigns at Target

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 05:28 PM PST

At a Target store in Eden Prairie, Minn., employees had to contend with frigid weather, cart collisions and a pre-opening blackout.

Insider Case Has Soft-Dollar Focus

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 05:26 PM PST

The sweeping insider-trading investigation is raising questions about how hedge funds and other big investors dole out a common form of payment on Wall Street known as "soft dollars."

Ireland's Crisis Produces 'New Poor'

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 05:57 PM PST

A church-run soup kitchen in Dublin symbolizes Ireland's "new poor"—ordinary people with houses and jobs laid low by years of austerity, and now facing even tougher times.

Loyalty to Customers Led to Bank's Fall

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 07:52 PM PST

Wilmington Trust, founded by the duPont family more than a century ago, built a reputation for standing by its clients through thick and thin. That corporate culture nearly killed the bank.

Sony TV Unit Seeks Path to Profitability

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 07:43 PM PST

The head of Sony's TV business, Yoshihisa Ishida, wants to transform the loss-making TV operations into a profit driver.

Oil Rises 2.7% on the Week

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 11:45 AM PST

Crude-oil futures fell Friday as persistent worries about euro-zone debt pushed the dollar higher against other currencies. For the week, crude futures gained $1.78 per barrel, or 2.7%, to $83.76.

Total for GM Offering Rises to $23.1 Billion

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 03:57 PM PST

General Motors said the underwriters of its IPO exercised their full option to purchase an additional 71.7 million shares of common stock, boosting the total offering size to $23.1 billion.

Foreclosure Restarts Limp Out of the Gate

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 05:19 PM PST

Bank of America and J.P. Morgan Chase have hit snags in efforts to restart nearly 230,000 foreclosures across the U.S. Some cases are likely to remain in limbo until early next year.

Control of Postbank Clinched

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 06:14 PM PST

Deutsche Bank took a key step toward its goal of reducing its reliance on investment banking as it gained a long-sought majority stake in German retail-banking giant Deutsche Postbank.

Obama Gets 12 Stitches After Injury

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 01:07 PM PST

The White House said President Obama received 12 stitches in his lip after being hit during a pick-up basketball game.

China Warns U.S. as Korea Tensions Rise

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 03:49 PM PST

Beijing's first official protest over plans for joint military exercises involving an aircraft carrier in the Yellow Sea on Sunday was noticeably more restrained than after a similar announcement in July.

Petronas Chemicals Gains 2.1% on Debut

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 12:53 PM PST

Petronas Chemicals struggled to hold on to gains on its stock-market debut. It ended up 2.1% from the IPO price for institutional investors..

Shoppers Come Out in Force

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 07:04 PM PST

Shoppers came out in force on Black Friday in a signal that American consumers were slowly becoming comfortable spending again. But retailers resorted to heavy promotions, likely crimping profits.

Portugal Approves '11 Budget

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 03:17 PM PST

Prime Minister José Sócrates expressed hope that Parliament's passage of the 2011 budget would help calm euro-zone debt markets roiled by Ireland's financial meltdown.

Dow Ends in Red on Black Friday

Posted: 26 Nov 2010 11:50 AM PST

The Dow industrials closed down 95.28 points, as worries over the euro-zone debt crisis overshadowed an encouraging start to the holiday-shopping season. Blue chips fell 1% on the week.