Money: February 2008

Friday, February 29, 2008

The ethanol bust

Cargill announces it's scrapping plans for a $200 million ethanol plant near Topeka, Kan. A judge approves the bankruptcy sale of an unfinished ethanol plant in Canton, Ill.. And that was just Tuesday.

Furniture company - or hedge fund?

Everybody's heard of mattresses stuffed with cash, or coins lodged beneath the cushions of a couch. But one venerable Virgina company seems genuinely confused about whether it's in the furniture business or the money business.

It's a bargain hunter's market

One month into the latest round of our Strategy Lab stock-picking game, it's all about the value.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Oil touches $103 a barrel

Read full story for latest details.

Oil tops $102; Dow falls 112

Stocks slump as investors worry thateconomic growth will be anemic. Financial stocks fall after Fed boss Bernanke says he expects some smaller banks to fail. Dell and AIG earnings disappoint, but Apple jumps more than 6% on hopes for big iPhone sales.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Is Clinton bad for business?

On the campaign trail, the Democratic candidate strikes a populist tone that worries many business leaders. But Wall Street is comfortable with her.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Don't panic: That IRS letter is good news

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CEOs who have lost billions

More than 20 top execs have lost more than $100 million as the value of their companies' stock has tumbled. Six have lost at least $1 billion.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Income, spending higher than expected

Consumer spending posted a slight gain in January, according to a government report Friday.

What PayPal does with your money

Next month, eBay intends to implement a controversial new policy that will entail holding payments sent through PayPal for up to 21 days for certain "high-risk transactions."

10 sure-fire tax breaks

Are you cross-eyed trying to figure out which tax breaks you can take this year?

Market's rally is really a trap

All that cheering on Wall Street is for a plan to use rubber cement and duct tape to patch some big holes in the financial system. Skepticism is in order.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Toyota's unknown business partners

A lawsuit among Toyota dealers has shed new light on one of the Japanese automaker's less well-known business practices: its use of independent distributors to sell cars in the United States.

Smart window shopping

To hear window salesmen tell it, replacing old single-pane windows with modern double-pane ones will cut your heating and cooling bills in half. Don't believe the hype.

Microsoft cuts price for boxed Vista

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Dollar falls to another record low vs. euro

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Mortgage mess socks ex-Goldman Sachs stars

Not long ago, Goldman Sachs alums Geoff Grant and Ron Beller looked like superstars. A prescient bet on the collapse of the subprime mortgage bond market generated last year a whopping 87 percent return on their hedge fund, Peloton Partners.

Wall Street braces for ugly day

Stock futures sank early Friday after a huge loss at insurer AIG raised worries about the credit crunch and investors awaited another wave of economic reports.

MBIA says more writedowns ahead

Read full story for latest details.

How Sony won the high-def DVD war

The Oscars were a non-event this year for Sony - the studio took home only one gold statue - but Sir Howard Stringer was in town with plenty to celebrate.

Mortgage rates jump in lackluster market

Following a January surge in refinancing activities, mortgage rates rose this week in the lackluster housing market, but are likely to decline, Freddie Mac reported Thursday.

Go ahead, retirees, live a little

Older Americans are wary of dipping into their nest eggs, but many may be too cautious about both spending and investing.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Morgan Stanley CEO pulls in $41.3M in '07

Morgan Stanley chief executive John Mack received $41.3 million in 2007 compensation thanks to $40.2 million in stock and options grants, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Wednesday.

Google shares recover from selloff

Read full story for latest details.

9 financial signs of a cheating spouse

A checking account, an income tax return, a credit card bill or even an eBay listing can hold information that suggests someone is straying.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Pain in the pocketbook

As anyone who's been to the gas station or supermarket lately knows, the prices of fuel and food are on the rise.

Fannie, Freddie get mortgage relief

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shares soared as much as 16 percent Wednesday after the government-sponsored lenders' regulator removed limits on the growth of the companies' mortgage portfolios.

Dow up 115 as stocks rise for a third day

IBM's big stock buyback and earnings guidance give most techs a boost. Google falls on an analyst downgrade. Crude oil and the euro both hit new highs after producer prices show a gain. Despite lousy housing news, home-builder shares jump.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Dow up 189 on bond insurer's good news

Stocks shoot higher after Standard & Poor's reaffirms the AAA rating of bond insurer MBIA. Visa may raise as much as $19 billion in an IPO likely to come out soon. Existing-home sales aren't quite as bad as expected. Crude oil tops $99.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Sprint chief tries to halt customer exodus

Sprint chief Dan Hesse will face investors for the first time Thursday morning. His biggest challenge? To stop people from gawking at all the problems he's inherited and get them to focus on the fixes he's making.

Record housing drop hurts coasts worst

A 291-city report finds broad declines, but the biggest pain is limited to California and Florida. Small towns in the South and West are holding up well, number crunchers say.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Hotmail freezes up for hours

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The year's scariest investing news

A federal agency rolls the dice to fund busted pension plans, showing that the gambler's thinking that got us into the housing and credit mess is alive and well.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Talk your way into a cheap trip to Spain

You can speak English with Spaniards in exchange for a week at a four-star resort -- and you don't have to understand a word of Spanish.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

How divorce hits your 401(k)

If your marriage is breaking up, here's one more thing to think about: The major effect it'll have on your employer-sponsored retirement plan.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

As economy tanks, Wal-Mart thrives

Americans have stopped trading up and started trading down. And Wal-Mart is a penny pincher's paradise.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

A bet against the 'green living' trend

Gaiam has capitalized on the trend toward a cleaner, healthier lifestyle, but its stock gets just one of five stars in our CAPS rating system. That means many investors think the run won't last. I agree

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Get paid to wait out the slowdown

The economy is skidding, and no one knows when things will get better. An investment screen -- and a little logic -- turn up five stocks likely to pay respectable dividends in the meantime.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Waste not, want not

Sintex Industries, a plastics and textiles manufacturer in Gujarat, India, is betting it can find profit in human waste. Its new biogas digester turns human excrement, cow dung, or kitchen garbage into fuel that can be used for cooking or generating electricity, simultaneously addressing two of India's major needs: energy and sanitation.

Say good-bye to granite countertops

The granite countertop's glory days might be over.

The credit card party is officially over

Don't count on those 0% offers anymore. As banks stick even good customers with higher rates and tighten up on credit lines and balance transfers, you need to think about protecting yourself.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

House approves $18B in oil taxes

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Ben Bernanke's high-wire act

For Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, running the central bank has become an increasingly challenging high-wire balancing act.

Stocks end flat in topsy-turvy day

The Nasdaq rose and the broader market was mixed Wednesday as investors welcomed Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments that the central bank is likely to keep cutting rates, but remained wary about the economic outlook.

Corporate America's latest posh perks

Be it a sizable payout, a fancy car or even a discount at Wal-Mart, company honchos can't seem to resist getting something extra. Here's a sample of 2007's juiciest handouts.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Stocks gain modestly on rate-cut hopes

Traders see lower interest rates after Fed boss Bernanke vows to protect economic growth despite inflationary risks. But a rally is trimmed as lower oil hits energy stocks. Apple and Google show gains. Microsoft is hit with a $1.3 billion fine from the European Union.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Shareholders slap Yahoo with lawsuits

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Home price plunge accelerates

The decline in residential real estate accelerated though the end of 2007, and home prices in 20 key markets plunged 9.1% for the year, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Burger King banks on 'broad-shouldered' menu

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Look abroad for dividends

International stocks can offer compelling yields, and the MSN CAPS rating system helps investors evaluate which companies hold the most promise.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

XTO Energy 1 of 10 stocks for today

One of the nation's biggest natural-gas producers appears on an MSN Money list of stocks poised for gains. Here are StockScouter's top picks.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Dollar falls to new low on Bernanke statement

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Mortgage applications slide again

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Don't be scared of this drug stock

Elan dropped 10% Tuesday over liver-damage concerns, butthe price started inching back up after the FDA clarified its warning. Now's the time to buy the stock while it's still a bargain.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Feng shui flows at McDonald's outlet

A California fast-food joint seeks to help customers tap their inner Zen while lingering over Big Macs and fries. It's been good for business, too.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

EU fines Microsoft record $1.3 billion

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Static in the satellite radio market

The stalled merger between satellite radio duo XM and Sirius has suddenly lurched into the unknown as Wall Street continues to wait for a verdict from regulators.

Insuring your home against disaster

If last fall's devastating California wildfires weren't enough of a wake-up call, consider this: Nearly 60% of homes nationwide don't carry enough insurance coverage to be fully rebuilt. On average those homes are underinsured by 21%. To give yourself a chance of being made whole, follow these steps before and after disaster strikes.

Financial stocks: The stars of 2008?

Considering their swoon during the past several months, it's tempting to believe the worst is over for financial stocks. Several top fund managers think it's time to buy.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Monday, February 25, 2008

Watch inflation now!

Recession has been getting so much attention lately that it's been easy to forget about the threats posed to the U.S. economy by inflation.

Investors look again to value stocks

I'mre-balancing my portfolio by selling more than half my holdings andreplacing them with stocks that now score higher using my models.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Class action suit against Microsoft gets greenlight

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Repeat after me: The economy is not that bad

The stock market's recent decline doesn't reflect the reality that I see. So, let's get the market down to a level that makes an investor want to buy. In the meantime, I'm hoping to clean up with Clorox.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Ambac could see bank bailout next week

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Microsoft to stop making HD DVD players

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Strong stocks in a weak economy

Robust demand for natural resources and growth in emerging markets are pumping up suppliers of industrial controls -- despite slowing sales growth for many industrial companies.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Meatpacker to close after major U.S. recall, report

The meatpacking company that issued the largest U.S. meat recall ever last week could shut down, according a Saturday report in the Wall Street Journal.

A little 'magic' won't fix debt insurers

Splitting monolines into high-risk and low-risk companies is only a partial solution to one particular part of the financial system's much larger bubble trouble.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Credit crisis hits Main Street

When Wilkes-Barre Mayor Thomas Leighton hears about the troubles afflicting bond insurer Ambac Financial Group, he worries whether his Pennsylvania city can renovate a blighted park or repair the sewer system.

Comcast, Verizon in the hot seat at FCC debate

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Gas prices up nearly 16 cents

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Electronic Arts offers $2 billion for Take-Two

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Lenders cut off the home-equity tap

Thousands of homeowners are getting notices that their lines of credit have been frozen, and it's harder to get new second mortgages. Here's what your bank is doing and whether you're at risk.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Friday, February 22, 2008

Verizon, rivals offer all-you-can-talk plans

T-Mobile and AT&T follow the wireless carrier's big move with their own plans that eliminate long-distance and roaming charges, and let callers chat all they want for $100 a month.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

The 44th president's $4 trillion headache

The presidential candidates all have big plans for their time in the White House. Reform health care. Reduce taxes. Close corporate loopholes. Encourage savings. The list goes on.

Dow 18,500? The case for believing

An analysis of stock fundamentals suggests the blue-chip index could rise more than 6,000 points in the next three years. Here's why the index looks so undervalued.

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[Source: MSN Money Latest Articles]

Searching for the next Dubai

It's always tough driving in the wilds of East Africa. But in the tiny country of Djibouti, our driver explains, it's tougher than usual. "Djiboutian goats don't scare," he says, holding down the horn and swerving. We're driving 100 mph the wrong way down a winding road through terrain so apocalyptic that British soldiers, back when they ruled the world, nicknamed this parched earth the Furthest Shag of the Never-Never Land.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Monday, February 25, 2008

Friday, February 22, 2008

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