 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE HIGH COST OF BLIND FAITH IN THE MARKET
To avert further calamities, John Cassidy argues, we should practice "reality-based economics" How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities By John Cassidy Farrar, Straus 390 pp.; $28 Economist John Maynard Keynes had a weakness for rhetorical ....
|
THE STUBBORN LUXURY OF APPLE
It could grab more market share by moving downmarket, but don't hold your breath It's no secret that Apple is doing really well at the high end of the personal computer business, but the other day I got some data that cast its recent achievements in ....
|
"A Brutal Wakeup Call for Part-Time B-Schools" (In Depth, Nov. 16, 2009)
"A Brutal Wakeup Call for Part-Time B-Schools" (In Depth, Nov. 16) misidentified Gordon Armstrong. He is the director of marketing communication and competitive intelligence at Duke Corporate
|
"Country Clubs: Stuck in the Rough" (Golf & The Business Life, Nov. 9, 2009)
"Country Clubs: Stuck in the Rough" (Golf & The Business Life, Nov. 9) mistakenly said the Country Club of Lansing, Mich., was in foreclosure. The club says it filed for protection under Chapter 11 to avoid foreclosure and expects to emerge from bank....
|
THE DARK SIDE OF INCENTIVES
They consistently backfire when efforts to boost bonuses override moral considerations Right now, there's little that makes a typical American taxpayer more resentful than the huge bonuses being dispersed at Wall Street firms. The feeling that someth....
|
10 Ways to Cut Health-Care Costs Right Now
Employers and hospitals don't have to wait for Congress to address inefficiencies and waste Seven hundred billion dollars. That's a ballpark estimate of how much money is wasted in the U.S. medical system every single year, according to a new Thomson....
|
TAIWAN'S NEW DREAMS
As PC sales decline, the island's top tech players are shifting out of low-margin businesses and into smartphones, solar-power chips, and beyond At the depth of the global economic crisis, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. was in trouble. With f....
|
CHINA'S END RUN AROUND THE U.S.
As more free-trade deals exclude America, Beijing could dominate a new Asian trade bloc President Barack Obama makes his first state visit to East Asia on Nov. 13-19. He'll start off in Tokyo, attend a meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation....
|
A SLOG IN CHINA FOR FOREIGN INSURERS
How mainland rules are giving an edge to domestic rivals When insurer AIA moved back into its gray stone colonial headquarters on Shanghai's waterfront Bund in 1998, it marked the return of foreign insurance companies to China after their ejection ne....
|
M&A GOES HOSTILE
Unfriendly bids--like Kraft's for Cadbury--are rising, and defenses are weaker With the economy on the mend, cash-rich companies are ready to make deals again. But many targets, wary of lowball offers, aren't willing to sell. The latest standoff: Kra....
|
THE GREAT ANDROID INVASION
Google is not only coming out with new mobile apps but extending the system's use to other devices Andy Rubin, the mastermind behind Google's Android, has had a pretty good few weeks, with major companies throwing their weight behind his operating sy....
|
CHARLES WANG'S MESSY SECOND ACT
The ex-CEO of '90s highflier Computer Associates is trying real estate. But his past won't stay behind him New York entrepreneur Charles B. Wang, who made his mark in software, is busy reinventing himself as a real estate tycoon. He's pushing a mammo....
|
WHAT'S EATING McDONALD'S
Its strength through the recession was much ballyhooed, but now sales are slipping You'd think McDonald's would be a can't-miss recession play for global investors. Yet shares of the fast-food giant are flat in 2009 during one of the most dramatic st....
|
THE STEAM AT STARBUCKS
Baristas are angry and customers put out over the aggressive rollout of (heavens!) an instant coffee line Starbucks instant coffee was always going to be a tough sell. That's why the company spent years developing it and months preparing its frontlin....
|
FOR LONE STAR FANS
On Nov. 4, Texas became the second U.S. state to get an exchange-traded fund of its own. Keith Geary of Geary Advisors says his company launched the Texas Large Companies ETF in part because of performance. A computer program showed that if the portf....
|
UPGRADING YOUR MUNIS
Allstate is weeding out some of its municipal bonds. On Nov. 5 the insurance giant announced in a conference call that its muni position had dropped 4% in the third quarter, to $22.2 billion on Sept. 30. It's not planning to eliminate munis altogethe....
|
A REFUGE IN GOLD
Gold closed above $1,100 an ounce for the first time on Nov. 9 and is up 25% so far this year. It's not rising just because the U.S. dollar is falling, although the greenback gets a lot of attention. Investors are equally worried about the pound, the....
|
HOW TO PLAY IT: TECH IN TAIWAN
Taiwanese companies got whacked worse than most during the downturn, as exports of such products as semiconductors and liquid-crystal displays plunged. Taiwan's tech-heavy stock market fell nearly 60% from its September 2007 high to its nadir last No....
|
VALUES IN MAULED DEBT
The news about U.S. commercial real estate is grim ("Deep Trouble," Nov. 16). But distress can lead to opportunity. Michael Winer, manager of Third Avenue Real Estate Value Fund since its 1998 inception, has proved particularly adept at navigating ch....
|
PASTIMES INTO PROFITS
For 15 years, Dorothy Atkins kept a diary during her long train rides back and forth to work as a project manager at a large San Francisco bank. "I always used commuting time to write out my hopes and desires," Atkins says. She also did a lot of draw....
|
A PROMISING ISRAELI BIOTECH
Little-known Protalix BioTherapeutics (PLX) has surprised the Street. The stock has hit 11.33 on NYSE Euronext, up from 4 in June. The Israeli company's lead drug, prGCDplus or minus--a treatment for Gaucher's disease, a genetic disorder that causes ....
|
CHINA: ASSAYING NEWMONT?
In just a week, Newmont Mining (NEM), one of the world's top producers of gold, saw its stock leap to 51.24 from 43. The jump is no surprise, since Newmont's third-quarter profits more than doubled as gold hit $1,100 an ounce. But there's something m....
|
MORE BOUNCE AT COOPER TIRE
Despite major roadblocks, including a recession that paralyzed the auto industry and crimped driving habits, Cooper Tire & Rubber (CTB), North America's No. 4 tire maker, has sprung back and is expected to turn a profit this year after a huge loss in....
|
WHY YOU'D BETTER BEWARE OF THE 'BIG SHIFT'
Conventional wisdom says productivity is a key driver of corporate profitability. Yet this long-held assumption is challenged by a report from Deloitte's Center for the Edge. The study, led by John Hagel III and John Seely Brown, finds that despite m....
|
A ROADBLOCK FOR ORACLE
As Oracle waits, Sun is fading. Back in April, the top database maker offered $7.4 billion for Sun Microsystems, which makes computer hardware and software, but on Nov. 9 the European Union formally objected to the combo. Regulators fear Oracle's own....
|
CHIPMAKERS MAKE PEACE
The feud between the chipmaking kings of China and Taiwan came to an end on Nov. 10 with a victory for the Taiwanese. China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International said it agreed with its bitter rival and the industry's top player, Taiwan Semicon....
|
BYRON WIEN: WHAT THE SEER SEES IN THE SHORT TERM
Every January since 1986, veteran investment strategist Byron Wien has issued his list of "surprises" for the year. With a little less than two months remaining in 2009, many of his prognostications have already come true. So what has Wien--who last ....
|
CHRYSLER TURNS ON THE HEAT
Can sex sell cars at troubled Chrysler? On Nov. 4, Chrysler Group (now controlled by Italy's Fiat Group and almost 10% owned by the U.S. government) finally told the world how it plans to storm back: with a dose of Viagra. At a presentation for auto ....
|
CAN BLUE LIGHT SAVE LIVES?
East Japan Railway, which runs local trains in and out of Tokyo, spent $170,000 in October to install special LED lamps on the platforms of all 29 stations along the Yamanote line, one of its busiest routes. The hope is that the blue light emitted by....
|
SPEAKING FLUENT PERFORMANCE REVIEW
With end-of-year performance reviews looming, it's time to check in with James Neal of Perrysburg, Ohio--the man behind the phrases that pop up in so many employee evaluations. Neal, a former HR executive, publishes Effective Phrases for Performance ....
|
THE SIGNS SAY: JOB GROWTH AHEAD
Don't expect payrolls to turn around quickly, but economic trends are encouraging. Plus, heady productivity gains are not sustainable, and more workers will soon be needed In the face of the Labor Dept.'s October employment report, a forecast that jo....
|
GLIMMERS OF HOPE FOR U.S. CORPORATE PROFITS
Companies in the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index have come a long way since reporting a collective loss at the end of 2008. Third-quarter numbers so far indicate operating profits of about $137 billion, and more companies are beating analysts' esti....
|
AN ABOUT-FACE ON E-CARS
While other automakers are stressing electric cars and hybrids, Chrysler is backing away. When the company was owned by Cerberus Capital Management, run by Robert Nardelli, and begging for bailout cash from the feds--it eventually got $12.5 billion--....
|
DEAL MANIA IN THE AIR
More evidence that the smart money senses a global economy on the mend: Takeover activity is humming. The big-daddy deal at present, of course, is Kraft Food's Nov. 9, $16.4 billion hostile bid for Cadbury. The British sweets purveyor made a sour fac....
|
DODD'S REFORM PLAN
Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), head of the Banking Committee, staked out a tough position on Nov. 10 when he unveiled his 1,136-page financial reform package. It would combine banking regulation into a single new agency, stripping the Fed of som....
|
THE RALLY CONTINUES
The dollar may be diving like a blue whale, but investors keep piling into U.S. stocks. The S&P 500 climbed 2.7% in the three days ended on Nov. 11, notching a 13-month high and raising its 2009 gain to 21.6%. Among the reasons: dandy profits at Amer....
|
COMCAST'S CONQUEST?
The cable goliath and General Electric appear to be nearing the finish line: A Comcast deal for NBC Universal may be announced in coming days. Comcast and NBC owner GE have worked out a formula that values the network, its cable channels, Universal s....
|
PRICELINE FLIES HIGH
Forget staycations--consumers are hitting the road again. They're just doing it on the cheap, which is fine with Priceline.com. The online travel agency on Nov. 9 posted a tripling of third-quarter profits and a sunny outlook for the rest of the year....
|
HEALTH-CARE MILESTONE
One close vote in the House, one giant leap for health-care reform. After weeks of give-and-take, the House of Representatives on Nov. 7 managed to push through a bill by the tiny margin of 220 to 215. One Republican, Joseph Cao of Louisiana, voted i....
|
The Stat
11% Third-quarter increase in U.S. home sales, from the previous quarter Data: National Association of Realtors
|
VERDICT: NOT GUILTY
Were they simply lousy money managers, or did they lie to clients? A federal jury in Brooklyn apparently decided on the former, acquitting on Nov. 10 two former Bear Stearns hedge fund managers, Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin, of securities fraud. M....
|
THE GALLEON CASE WIDENS
Ripples from the Galleon Group insider trading case are spreading, and the Street is worried. On Nov. 5 federal prosecutors in New York accused 14 more people--including an attorney and Wall Street traders--of trading on nonpublic information. Then, ....
|
BENMOSCHE BROUHAHA
AIG CEO Robert Benmosche has made plenty of waves in his three months at the helm, starting with his early bluster about not being pushed into selling assets too soon. On Nov. 11 he found himself in rough water again after The Wall Street Journal sai....
|
FERTILE GROUND FOR STARTUPS
History shows that a certain breed of entrepreneur feeds off adverse conditions, and this recession is no exception Who needs job security? In June 2008, as the recession was moving from bad to worse, Caterina Fake gave up a comfortable, executive-le....
|
METHODOLOGY
How do you judge the world's most intriguing companies? There's no clear formula, of course. Still, we tried to bring rigor to the process. After debating the priority of various characteristics, we agreed the most important was having big ideas. Int....
|
CHINA WATER & ENERGY: REAPING THE WIND
This clean-energy startup is positioned to profit from China's plans to go green As Chinese cities have become increasingly polluted, the government has laid out ambitious plans to lessen dependence on fossil fuels. By 2020, Beijing aims to have 15% ....
|
EPIZYME: BIOTECH TAKES ON CANCER
Epizyme scientists are designing drugs to fight it at the genetic level When Kazumi Shiosaki is explaining the science behind her biotech startup, Epizyme, to investors, she uses a piano analogy. The keys, she says, are like genes: They're silent unt....
|
LAYAR: AUGMENTING REALITY
Software from Layar blends digital data with the physical world. Just point your cell phone Take a stroll through the Plaza San Jose in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and you'll see on one side of the square the Museo Pablo Casals, dedicated to the famous Sp....
|
DRIPTECH: A BIG IDEA FOR LITTLE FARMS
Affordable, efficient irrigation equipment that could change the economics of food In the countryside of Shanxi Province in north-central China, farmer Xie Xin has struggled for years with water shortages. The 47-year-old, who grows tomatoes and cucu....
|
PHYCAL: POWER FROM POND SCUM
Can algae help break America's dependence on imported oil? Kevin Berner thinks so Kevin Berner, the 52-year-old CEO and founder of Phycal, is betting that green lagoons of algae are the cure for America's fossil-fuel addiction. Corn may be a good fee....
|
DANGEROUS DAYS FOR VIDEO GAMES
As companies have to invest more to chase consumers, the $11 billion business is taking a hit For months, video game fans from Topeka to Tokyo had been salivating for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the sixth installment of Activision Blizzard's bloc....
|
FROM RUSSIA WITH NOT A LOT OF LOVE
Gazprom, the bare-knuckle king of natural gas, is out to make its mark in America Just how tough is Gazprom? As the world's biggest supplier of natural gas, the Russian company has a reputation for hard-nosed bargaining. So when John Hattenberger, ch....
|
INDIAN VS. CHINESE AUTOS: NO CONTEST
India's exports are pulling ahead, thanks to quality and engineering that China's carmakers don't match For years, global automakers have fretted about the day when Chinese manufacturers start exporting cars en masse, driving down profits worldwide. ....
|
SMALL BUSINESS HAS SMALL HIRING PLANS
Even when the economy picks up, keeping the headcount down will remain a top priority Without a doubt, the job picture is ugly. And if the 10.2% jobless rate is to start falling, economists say small businesses need to begin hiring. But the surplus o....
|
IMAGINATIVE DESIGNS THAT CHANGE THE GAME
The 12th annual BusinessWeek/Architectural Record Awards showcase smart new retail and office spaces The new Barbie Shanghai store is a bit far down the Huaihai Road shopping corridor, but it's hard to miss. An eight-story glass facade, printed with ....
|
BUDDY, CAN YOU E-MAIL ME 100 BUCKS?
The Next Big Thing in U.S. banking may be mobile person-to-person money transfers What if you could send money to that friend who loaned you $20 last week by using your mobile phone rather than having to go through the trouble of trekking to the ATM ....
|
|
|
|
|
