"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader

China Manufacturing Activity Picks Up

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 08:01 PM PDT

A preliminary gauge of China's nationwide manufacturing activity rose to 49.5 in July compared with a final reading of 48.2 in June, HSBC Holdings said Tuesday.


Geithner Urges Quick Action on Debt Crisis

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 07:50 PM PDT

U.S. Treasury Secretary warned European leaders against standing too long on the edge of a financial "abyss" while trying to force reforms.


Tokyo Market Slips

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 07:23 PM PDT

Japanese stocks slipped to a six-week low on worries over Europe, while other markets in Asia were little changed as investors took a breather after Monday's selloff.


Billabong Gets Offer From TPG

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 07:41 PM PDT

Billabong said it received a bid from private-equity firm TPG International, valuing the company at about US$713.4 million.


In Silicon Valley, Patents Go on Trial

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 07:09 PM PDT

In a trial starting next week, Apple will argue that Samsung had a deliberate strategy of copying Apple's smartphone designs.Samsung will likely say that Apple's designs aren't unique and that Apple is infringing on some Samsung patents.


Mariah Carey to Join 'Idol'

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 05:18 PM PDT

Pop singer Mariah Carey will become a new judge on "American Idol," as part of the Fox network's plan to reinvigorate the popular but aging TV singing contest.

Fed Official Wants Tougher Volcker Rule

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 04:29 PM PDT

Fed Governor Sarah Bloom Raskin argued for rules on proprietary trading that would be more difficult for banks to work around.

Twitter Pushes to Boost Site's Utility

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 04:51 PM PDT

In an interview Monday with WSJ, Twitter Chief Executive Dick Costolo outlined priorities for making the short-messaging service more useful—efforts that could also put the company into increasing conflict with its allies.

VMWare to Buy Nicira for $1.26 Billion

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 06:16 PM PDT

VMWare said it would buy Nicira for about $1.26 billion, a bet on new-wave networking that underscores intense interest in suppliers of technology to corporations.

Moody's Cuts Outlook on Germany, Other Euro Users

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 03:27 PM PDT

Moody's Investors Service lowered its outlooks on Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg—which all have triple-A-ratings—to negative from stable, pointing to rising uncertainty related to the euro-zone debt crisis.

DeVry to Cut Jobs Amid Weak Enrollment

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 03:05 PM PDT

For-profit educator DeVry issued a dour outlook and said it plans to cut its workforce, citing cost pressures and continued weakness in student enrollment.

Texas Instruments' Profit, Revenue Fall

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 02:37 PM PDT

Texas Instruments reported a 34% drop in profit on lower sales and the chip maker issued a downbeat outlook.

IAC Has Controlling Stake In Newsweek/DailyBeast

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 02:33 PM PDT

Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp. has taken a controlling stake in the Newsweek/Daily Beast joint venture.

Barnes & Noble Goofs On CEO Pay

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 02:43 PM PDT

Barnes & Noble said half of the stock options grant to CEO William Lynch had to be declared "ineffective" because it was larger than allowed under company rules. Even so, Lynch's compensation rose to $10 million in the latest year from $1.6 million a year earlier.


Cisco to Lay Off About 1,300

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 04:19 PM PDT

Cisco said it would lay off about 1,300 employees, or 2% of its workforce, as the networking giant continues efforts to cut costs and boost profits.

Ex-Anglo Irish Executives Charged

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 04:21 PM PDT

Authorities in Ireland arrested and indicted two former executives of Anglo Irish Bank for allegedly encouraging a huge share-support plan, marking the first charges to be brought in an investigation of the lender that was central to the country's banking crisis.

Euro-Zone Government Debts Hit Record

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 01:17 PM PDT

The debts of euro-zone governments continued to climb to record levels in the first quarter, highlighting how difficult it is for leaders to turn the debt crisis around despite austerity measures.

BofA to Offer Chip Technology for Credit Cards

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 02:18 PM PDT

Bank of America is throwing its muscle behind a credit-card technology aimed at cutting down on hassles U.S. cardholders may encounter when trying to make purchases while traveling abroad.

Wet Seal Boots CEO

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 12:14 PM PDT

Wet Seal fired chief executive Susan McGalla, and warned of a larger than expected loss for the quarter on lower than expected sales.

Companies Court Indonesia's Poor

Posted: 23 Jul 2012 03:57 PM PDT

Many companies are tailoring products to low-income shoppers in nations such as Indonesia as they look for sources of growth. In developing nations, poorer consumers have proven resilient during downturns.