"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader


Twitter as Tech Bubble Barometer

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:42 PM PST

As Internet valuations climb and bankers and would-be buyers circle Silicon Valley in an increasingly frothy tech market, many eyes are on one desirable, if still enigmatic, target: Twitter.

Soldier Finds Minefield on Road to Citizenship

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:28 PM PST

Luis Lopez's case reflects the federal government's complex—and seemingly inconsistent—relationship with illegal immigrants in the armed forces.

Germans in Talks to Buy Big Board

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:22 PM PST

After 219 years as the citadel of American capitalism, the New York Stock Exchange was near an agreement to be acquired by Deutsche Börse in a deal that would create the world's largest financial exchange.

Encana Attracts Chinese Partner

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:06 PM PST

Encana said it entered into a $5.43 billion deal with PetroChina to develop hard-to-reach natural-gas reserves, further deepening the energy ties between Canada and China.

Asian Shares Mostly Lower; Merger Hopes Lift ASX

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 06:09 PM PST

Asian stock markets were mostly lower Thursday, as investors traded on local cues. In Australia, stock exchange operator ASX surged after news of stock market consolidations offshore. The Nikkei was off 0.4%.

Insider-Trading Probe Snares Trader

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:27 PM PST

Federal prosecutors unveiled criminal charges alleging that Donald Longueuil traded on insider information when he worked at hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors—and then destroyed his computer drives when he heard about the investigation.

Rio Tinto Extends Riversdale Offer

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:22 PM PST

Major shareholders raised the stakes in the battle for control of Mozambique-focused coking coal miner Riversdale Mining, with Rio Tinto extending its offer period for the miner while Cia. Siderurgica Nacional said it had further raised its stake in the company.

Payday Lenders Join With Indian Tribes

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 05:42 PM PST

Because of the sovereign immunity granted to American Indian tribes, they are shielded from interest-rate caps and other payday-loan regulations. Those advantages are luring tribes into the payday-loan business, and unleashing a scramble by lenders to team up with tribes.

'Call of Duty' Hit Can't Save 'Guitar Hero'

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:28 PM PST

Activision's quarterly loss narrowed as the publisher of games such as "Call of Duty" and "World of Warcraft" recorded smaller charges. The company said it will discontinue "Guitar Hero" development.

Clearwire Abandons Retail Strategy

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 06:46 PM PST

Clearwire has abandoned its retail strategy to focus on being a wholesale network provider of fast wireless service, opening the door for additional investment in the struggling company by Sprint Nextel.

Cisco Posts Lower Profit

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 06:43 PM PST

Cisco Systems posted an 18% profit drop in its latest quarter amid growing competitive pressures in its core network switching business despite a 6% increase in overall sales.

Freddie's Operating Chief Resigns

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 06:01 PM PST

Freddie Mac said Bruce Witherell left for "personal reasons" and that his departure was effective immediately.

Adviser Seeks Five-Year Sentence

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 10:36 AM PST

A former New York financial adviser should serve five years in prison after pleading guilty last year to defrauding his celebrity clients and other investors, his lawyer said.

Advertisers Weigh AOL, Politics

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 05:53 PM PST

In the wake of AOL's deal to buy the Huffington Post, some Madison Ave. executives say that the site's liberal political bent could turn off some AOL advertisers. Others say it's clicks and audience that matter.

Calpers Weighs Dropping Stocks From Property Portfolio

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 04:53 PM PST

Calpers, the giant California pension fund, is proposing to eliminate real-estate stocks from its property portfolio, a blow to efforts by real-estate investment trusts to convince institutional investors to increase their REIT holdings.

Bets Against Euro Haunt Hedge Funds

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 06:10 PM PST

The euro's gyrations this year have taken hedge funds by surprise, saddling some of the biggest names in the currency markets with losses.

H-P Joins Tablet Scramble

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 06:45 PM PST

Hewlett-Packard laid out plans to deliver a tablet computer and smartphones featuring a recently acquired operating system. But the tech giant must come from behind to win over consumers and developers who have already invested in rival systems.

Bernanke Tries to Soothe GOP

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 07:13 PM PST

The Fed chief told the House budget panel the prospect of high unemployment and low inflation continued to justify the central bank's controversial purchases of government bonds.

Huawei's U.S. Partner Scales Back

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 10:12 AM PST

China's Huawei and its U.S. partner, Amerilink Telecom, have significantly scaled back their partnership after failing to land a network-upgrade deal with Sprint Nextel.

House GOP Fears States 'Crisis'

Posted: 09 Feb 2011 03:55 PM PST

House Republicans said they are concerned of a "looming fiscal crisis" in state and local finances but ruled out any federal bailouts for states.