"Wallstreet" Reader

"Wallstreet" Reader

A Bund for All Seasons

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 04:22 PM PDT

Germany government bonds have weathered the global credit-market selloff better than their major euro-zone peers. Belgium, France and the Netherlands are underperforming notably, a sign that Europe remains vulnerable.

Weak Links Mar Investing in China

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 07:19 PM PDT

The selloff in China's stock market abated on Tuesday, but a key issue for investors remains: The country's financial system puts state-owned companies ahead of private businesses.

States Put Heat on Bitcoin

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 07:27 PM PDT

State regulators are warning virtual-currency exchanges and other companies that deal with bitcoin that they could be shut down if their activities run afoul of state money-transmission laws.

Appetite for Boring General Mills Fades

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 04:56 PM PDT

Ahead of the Tape: The appeal of defensive stocks such as General Mills, often seen as an investment alternative to bonds, is fading.

Bottom Is Falling Out of Copper Prices

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 04:15 PM PDT

Heard on the Street: Copper's world is coming apart. The price has fallen 16% so far this year, as the global forces propelling the metal's stunning rise over the past decade are shifting.

A Hawkish Signal Bernanke Didn't Send

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 04:48 PM PDT

The Federal Reserve chairman's news conference a week ago was widely seen as a signal that the Fed is preparing to wean the economy off easy money. But the markets have misread Ben Bernanke.

SAC Probers Weigh 'Willful Blindness' Tack

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 05:55 PM PDT

U.S. officials are investigating whether hedge-fund titan Steven A. Cohen purposely avoided learning about criminal activity at his firm.

Regional Fed Presidents, FDIC Official Warn On Too Big to Fail

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 05:22 PM PDT

U.S. efforts to rein in "too big to fail" banks in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis have fallen well short and must be replaced with more aggressive measures, Fed bank presidents and a top regulatory official will tell lawmakers Wednesday.

WellPoint Starts Medical-Service Program

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 06:12 PM PDT

Insurer WellPoint is rolling out a program that lets employers pay only a set amount for a medical service, asking workers who select costlier care to pay the difference.

Regulators Weigh Requiring More Reserves at Banks

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 05:17 PM PDT

U.S. regulators, concerned that large banks remain a risk to the financial system, are considering requiring the biggest banks to boost a key metric that gauges institutions' ability to withstand a crisis.

EU's Eroding Support Imperils Crisis Response

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 07:40 PM PDT

European leaders face a crisis that could be even harder to fix than the region's debt problems: Europeans are losing trust in the EU itself.

Pimco Funds Hit by Bond Selloff

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 05:44 PM PDT

Bond king Bill Gross and his protégé Mark Kiesel are among the hardest hit from bonds' recent declines, a sign the selloff has caught some of the most trusted hands in the investing community.

Lebanese Bank Settles U.S. Laundering Suit

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 01:06 PM PDT

A Lebanese bank will pay $102 million to settle a civil lawsuit accusing it of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars of illicit funds linked to militant group Hezbollah through American banks, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

FDA Authorizes Two New Cigarette Brands

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 06:41 PM PDT

The FDA authorized the sale of two new Lorillard cigarette brands, in the first such move since Congress gave the agency power to do so in 2009.

Sony Ramps Up Mobile Push

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 09:47 AM PDT

Sony's mobile chief says the company is finally on the right track to become a major smartphone player. He cited improving financial conditions and a series of new products this year.

Roche, Astra to Share Drug Research Data

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 05:03 PM PDT

In another example of big drug companies pooling resources to try to improve R&D, Roche and AstraZeneca will share data on early-stage drug design to try to speed up development of effective medicines.

Regulator Set to Sue Corzine

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 07:29 PM PDT

Regulators have warned former MF Global chief Corzine and an ex-assistant treasurer of the firm that they could face civil charges.

South Africa Readies for Gold-Mining Wage Talks

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 10:34 AM PDT

South Africa is likely to start official gold mining wage talks sometime in the middle of July after unions lodged their demands, including for sharp pay increases, against a backdrop of tense labor relations.

ResCap Reaches Foreclosure Deal

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 08:29 AM PDT

Ally Financial's mortgage subsidiary, Residential Capital, has reached a tentative deal with the Federal Reserve that will allow the lender to end a foreclosure-review program it says is draining money from its bankruptcy estate.

New-Home Sales Rise

Posted: 25 Jun 2013 06:18 PM PDT

Sales of new homes rose to the highest level in nearly five years in May and a key gauge of existing-home prices surged, indicating substantial strength in the housing sector.