"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader

Hedge Funds Had Negative Japan Bets

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 06:02 PM PDT

The disaster in Japan brought unexpected profits to some hedge funds who have long bet that the nation will eventually be dragged down by its debt problems.

Probe Points to Misconduct by Calpers Ex-Officials

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 08:36 PM PDT

An 18-month internal investigation by Calpers into its use of placement agents and their role in billions of dollars of investments concluded that some top pension-fund officials acted in ways "inconsistent" with their responsibilities.

Florida Cigarette Maker Fights Proposed Fees

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 07:06 PM PDT

Dosal, a small cigarette maker with a sizable following in Florida, is battling big tobacco companies who want to impose fees on it and other small producers similar to the ones the bigger firms agreed to pay in a 1997 settlement with the state.

Tokyo Shares Plunge 13%

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 09:25 PM PDT

An early decline in Japanese shares picked up speed, with the main index skidding 13% as the country's prime minister warned of a high risk of elevated levels of radiation from a reactor at the Fukushima nuclear-power plant; Asia markets were universally down.

New H-P CEO Outlines Strategy

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 07:23 PM PDT

H-P's Leo Apotheker, in his first public appearance since joining the tech company in November, set a path for H-P that focuses on online services and targeting both consumers and businesses.

A Vigil of Hope, Loss

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 07:06 PM PDT

The makeshift morgue in Iwanuma forms part of the new fabric of life in northeastern Japan—one of rescues, evacuations and vast expanses of mud mixed with trees and fire extinguishers, minivans, doors and roofs.

MLB Puts Limits on Sale of Team Debt

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 07:08 PM PDT

Major League Baseball has instituted restrictions on the resale of some team debt that protect the New York Mets from pressure by so-called vulture investors as the team tries to sell a minority stake.

BofA Cuts 100 Jobs

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 04:19 PM PDT

Bank of America eliminated more than 100 jobs in its consumer and small-business banking unit late last week, a spokeswoman said

Microsoft Adds Do-Not-Track Tool to Browser

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 04:36 PM PDT

A new version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer to be released Tuesday will become the first major Web browser to include a do-not-track tool that helps consumers keep their online habits from being monitored.

Euro Zone Stalls on Bailout Details

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 06:36 PM PDT

Euro-zone finance ministers reached no agreement Monday on precisely how the bloc's 17 members will share the burden of enlarging bailout funds, and put off discussions until next week.

UPS Chief Executive Gets Raise

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 02:32 PM PDT

UPS chief Scott Davis received $10.7 million in total compensation last year, 72% more than in 2009.

Nasdaq Nears Rival Bid for NYSE

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 09:05 PM PDT

Nasdaq, aiming to upend a deal between Deutsche Börse and NYSE Euronext, moved closer to making a competing bid for the New York Stock Exchange operator.

Facebook Takes Aim at Groupon

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 06:30 PM PDT

Facebook will soon start testing a service to provide local discounts to its more than 500 million members, thrusting the social network into direct competition with Groupon.

Univision CEO to Depart

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 06:38 PM PDT

Univision says its CEO and president, Joe Uva, is leaving the Spanish-language broadcaster at the beginning of April.

Prison Term Sought in Goldman Case

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 01:13 PM PDT

A former Goldman Sachs computer programmer should be sentenced to up to 10 years and one month in prison for stealing the confidential source code of the investment bank's trading system, prosecutors said.

EU Mulls Board to Review Foreign Investments

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 10:24 AM PDT

Lawyers for the European Union's executive arm are studying EU treaty law to determine whether it has the right to set up an EU-wide board to review strategic investments in the 27-nation bloc, according to an internal letter reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

Galleon Witness Testifies on Deal Tips

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 10:48 AM PDT

Anil Kumar, a government witness at the insider-trading trial of Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam, told the jury how he leaked details of "super confidential" negotiations between two technology companies.

Germany Rethinks Atomic Power

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 01:49 PM PDT

Fears of a nuclear disaster in Japan have revived Germans' angst about atomic energy two weeks ahead of important regional elections, prompting Chancellor Angela Merkel to suspend her contested plan to extend the life of Germany's nuclear reactors.

Puma Names CEO

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 06:53 PM PDT

Puma AG, the athletic-wear brand owned by PPR, names Franz Koch as CEO. He had been head of strategy.

AOL Hires Twitter Adviser

Posted: 14 Mar 2011 08:47 PM PDT

Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone will become a "social impact" strategic adviser for AOL, as part of its broader integration with online news site the Huffington Post. He will stay at Twitter.