Business News - 12 October 2011

• More Good News Comes Out of Europe, Inches Toward Solution
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:53:53 +0000
  More good news out of Europe continues to provide the fuel to drive the current risk-asset rally.
• Job openings contract in August
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:52:59 +0000
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of jobs waiting to be filled fell in August, underscoring the pain in the labor market where millions of unemployed workers have been shut out of the economic recovery.
  
  
  
  
• BlackBerry outages spread to North America
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:52:53 +0000
  LONDON (Reuters) - A three-day disruption to BlackBerry services spread to North America on Wednesday, frustrating millions of users of the Research In Motion devices just two days before rival Apple's new iPhone 4S goes on sale.
  
  
  
  
• Understanding What the Occupy Wall Street Protesters Want
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:51:04 +0000
• Viewpoint: Big-Box Subsidies Do Dubious Good
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:48:13 +0000
• Governor Perry's Bad Night II
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:48:10 +0000
• UK unemployment hits 17-year high
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:46:23 +0000
  UK unemployment rose by 114,000 between June and August to 2.57 million, a 17-year high, according to official figures.
• China Angered Over US Senate's Anti-Yuan Bill
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:44:09 +0000
  The Chinese government is not too happy over recent approval by the Senate to press the country to allow its currency, the yuan (or renmimbi), to appreciate faster.
• Barroso unveils crisis 'roadmap'
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:42:32 +0000
  The president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, sets out a plan to support the eurozone and its banks.
• Wall Street climbs on Slovakia talks optimism
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:41:49 +0000
  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks opened higher on Wednesday, putting the S&P 500 on track for its sixth winning day in the past seven on optimism that Slovakia would reach a deal to expand the euro zone rescue fund.
  
  
  
  
• Solyndra says Harrison departed as CEO on October 7
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:35:23 +0000
  (Reuters) - The CEO of failed solar panel maker Solyndra LLC has left the company, just weeks after he declined to answer questions posed by a congressional panel that was investigating a $535 million government loan to the company.
  
  
  
  
• Coffee Prices Gained Market Share For Green Mountain, Private Labels
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:29:38 +0000
• Slovakia rejects European bailout plan
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:27:06 +0000
  Lawmakers in Slovakia rejected a plan late Tuesday to expand the powers of a bailout fund for banks and troubled European governments.
• Job Openings in U.S. Decreased in August, Hiring Climbed
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:27:01 +0000
  Job openings in the U.S. fell in August, signaling a sustained labor market recovery will take time to unfold.
• The Great Disruption Or The Big Shift?
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:25:10 +0000
• Banana firm's price-fixing fine
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:21:45 +0000
  Banana firm Pacific Fruit is fined 8.9 million euros by the European Commission over a price-fixing cartel run across Europe.
• European Stocks Rise to Five-Week High; Alpha Bank, ASML Climb
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:19:04 +0000
  European stocks climbed to a five- week high as the European Commission’s Olli Rehn said the debt crisis can be resolved, outweighing earnings from Alcoa Inc. that missed estimates.
• Wal-Mart U.S. same-store sales up in last 3 months
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:15:01 +0000
  (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc is finally seeing sustained improvement at its U.S. discount chain, with sales at Walmart stores open at least a year rising for three months straight, Walmart U.S. Chief Executive Bill Simon said on Wednesday.
  
  
  
  
• California Kids Face Days Without Class as Revenue Falls Short
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:14:46 +0000
  Public schools in California, which already spend less per student than those in 28 states, are bracing for a $1.7 billion cut that may wipe out high-school sports and student busing, and trim the academic calendar by seven days next year.
• Slovak parties reach deal on euro zone rescue fund: TV
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:14:31 +0000
  BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Parties in the outgoing Slovak government have reached an agreement with a leftist opposition leader on ratifying a plan to strengthen the euro zone's EFSF rescue fund, TA3 television reported on Wednesday.
  
  
  
  
• VIX Puts Most Since 2009 on Bet S&P 500 to Extend Gain: Options
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:14:04 +0000
  Traders are placing more bets than any time since 2009 that the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index will fall, a sign they expect concern about Europe’s credit crisis to recede and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to rally.
• Forbes Earnings Preview: C.R. Bard
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:13:58 +0000
  This post is from Forbes partner Narrative Science.
• My iPhone 4S is trapped in Kentucky!
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:13:43 +0000
  
• Senator Carl Levin's Report: Has It Been Hacked Or Something?
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:13:33 +0000
  Senator Carl Levin's report (OK, technically, it's the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations report) into repatriating offshore funds has been released: I'm rather wondering whether it's been hacked, if a gremlin's got into the system or something. One part of the report seems so odd that I rather hope that's the case rather than the distinguished Senators actually believe what is printed.
• U.S. Stocks Rally on Speculation Europe to Contain Debt Crisis
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:13:03 +0000
  U.S. stocks rose, sending the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index higher for a third straight day, on investors’ optimism Europe will contain its debt crisis.
• Financial stocks lead early advance
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:12:30 +0000
  U.S. stocks advanced early Wednesday, as investors awaited the latest plan for European bank recapitalization and sort through Slovakian politics.
• Occupy Wall Street: Zombies Take Over
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:12:21 +0000
  Staggering around covered in fake blood, eating bank notes and uttering gutteral moans on the state of the economy, demonstrators dressed as "corporate zombies" are making a stand against Wall Street bankers.
• Blackberry Service Disruption Enters Third Day, Spreads to North America
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:12:19 +0000
  Service was briefly restored on Tuesday for a few hours, but then disrupted once again.
• Disease management + short takes on Kahneman, Podcasts, Merck, Design Thinking, Consumer Health
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:12:16 +0000
• BANKS BRACING FOR PAIN
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:11:17 +0000
  August and September's see-sawing stock market may have induced nausea among equity investors, but for Wall Street's major investment banks, this volatility has most likely taken a huge toll on revenues and profits.
• Fernandez Sidelined by Low Blood Pressure Ahead of Election
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:10:07 +0000
  Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was forced to cancel her scheduled activities for a third time this year because of low blood pressure less than two weeks before she seeks re-election.
• Solyndra, L.A. Dodgers, WaMu, Sbarro, Madoff: Bankruptcy
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:10:06 +0000
  (This report contains items about companies both in bankruptcy and not in bankruptcy. Adds Solyndra as first item; Washington Mutual, Sbarro and Taylor Bean in Updates; William Lyon Homes and Kodak in Watch List; and Dune Energy in Prepack or Exchange Offer.)
• Italian turmoil haunts euro zone before summit
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:09:19 +0000
  ROME/ATHENS (Reuters) - Italy braced for a confidence vote in Silvio Berlusconi's government and Slovak leaders scrambled to secure approval for a stronger euro zone rescue fund on Wednesday, highlighting the political hurdles to resolving the bloc's debt crisis.
  
  
  
  
• Doing Business in Brazil: Opportunites Abound
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:45:47 +0000
  Brazil remains a hotbed of opportunity for those interesting in doing business internationally -- finding growth beyond the slow-growth U.S. borders.
• U.S. Stocks Open Higher on Barroso Speech
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:42:43 +0000
  U.S. stocks and other global risk assets traded higher on Wednesday on more good news out of Europe.
• How Can I Stand Out in the Holiday Rush? (Video)
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000
  Mike Michalowicz, author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, shares three tips on how small business owners can stand out among competitors during the holiday rush. Part of our Coaches Corner series.
• U.S. Stock Futures Rise on Hope from Europe
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:54:16 +0000
  U.S. stock futures and global risk assets in general rallied on Wednesday on hopes coming out of Europe.
• Majority of FTSE 100 firms ignore 'women on boards' targets
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:29:51 +0000
  The majority of Britain's biggest companies have so far ignored calls to set targets for boosting the number of women they have on their boards - increasing the risk of mandatory EU quotas, according to experts.
  
  
• Hundreds march against 'corporate greed' in New York City
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:41:47 +0000
  Occupy Wall Street demonstrators march up New York's Fifth and Park Avenues to protest against corporations and banks profiting from the financial crisis.
  
  
• U.S. Stock Futures up Ahead of Slovakia Talks on Rescue Plan
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:35:02 +0000
  Stock index futures rose on Wednesday, putting the benchmark S&P 500 on track for its sixth day of gains in the past seven, as Slovakia moved to reach a deal on expanding the euro zone rescue fund.
• Stocks and Euro Rise on Hopes of Slovak Approval
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:33:43 +0000
  World stocks and the euro hit three-week highs on Wednesday while top-rated government bonds fell as investors looked to Slovakia to reach a deal on expanding the euro zone's rescue fund, enabling leaders to move on with efforts to tackle a worsening debt crisis.
• BAE Systems warns of 'significant uncertainty' in US defence spending
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:29:52 +0000
  BAE Systems has warned there is "significant uncertainty" about the level of defence spending in the US as the Obama administration attempts to reduce the national deficit.
  
  
• Bank's Dale defends QE as he warns of weak UK growth
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:47:45 +0000
  Britain's economy will grow weaker this year as the repercussions from the eurozone crisis take their toll, the Bank of England's chief economist has warned.
  
  
• Interactive Business Bullet: UK jobs, Euro vote, Burberry progress and company pension shortfalls
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:59:53 +0000
  Top stories: UK jobs, Euro vote, Burberry,and company blackholes
  
  
• Record fall in employed over-65s shows businesses rushed to retire workers
  Wed, 12 Oct 2011 09:54:41 +0000
  Unemployment has soared more than expected to 2.57m to reach a 17-year high. But it's not just young people bearing the brunt of the cuts - older workers, too, appear to have been disproportionately hit, Louisa Peacock writes.