Investor's Business Daily: BUSINESS
Last updated on Wednesday December 31, 1969 at 7:00pm
Anyone looking for a single clue to both the success and high cost of U.S. health care need look no further than Alexion Pharmaceuticals.
EBay's Skype targets handsets. The online auctioneer's Web telephone unit plans to a launch a service for users of Apple's AAPL iPhone on Tue. and...
WALT DISNEY (DIS), the media giant, is close to finalizing a video-distributing deal with Google's (GOOG) YouTube. Disney will put some clips from...
News Corp. (NWS) named Jonathan Miller, former CEO of Time Warner's (TWX) AOL unit, as its new head of digital strategy, unnamed sources said....
Gestures to charge cell phones
You won't find the crew at Panera Bread digging up old recipes to tantalize customers.
The telecom said it will begin sending warnings to subscribers when music labels and movie studios allege that they are trafficking in pirated...
Omni National Bank, an Atlanta-based bank with $980 mil in assets, was seized by the FDIC, the 21st bank failure this year.
Liquid battery seen as cheaper
Sales clerks at dollar stores can tell they have attracted new customers during this recession by the questions shoppers are asking.
Education and technology are two favored pets of the Obama Administration. That's just fine with Blackboard, an online education software provider...
Tech slump weighs on Accenture. The tech outsourcer and consultancy said after hours that Q2 EPS fell 2% to 64 cents, a penny above views. Revenue...
TIBCO SOFTWARE (TIBX), a business software maker, said Q4 EPS rose 29% to 9 cents ex items, beating views by a penny. Sales fell 9% to $132.9 mil,...
New chip imitates human brain
Manhattan held on as other housing markets fell like dominoes. Its home prices rose much of last year.
Botox maker Allergan shot up Tuesday on reports that drug giant GlaxoSmithKline may bid for it.
Deutsche Telekom's U.S. mobile unit has opened up its cellular broadband network to laptops, introducing a so-called USB dongle that lets portable...
CITI TRENDS (CTRN), an apparel retailer, said Q4 EPS jumped 19% to 70 cents, beating views by 15 cents. Sales grew 9% to $146.6 mil. CEO Ed...
Blockbuster (BBI) will rent and sell movies and TV shows through TiVo's (TIVO) digital video recorders later this year. Rival rental firm Netflix...
Sensor inspired by sightless fish
For active duty soldiers, the price can't be beat. American Public Education's courses are free to military personnel, thanks to government...
Monro boosts Q4 EPS guidance. The auto parts chain increased its Q4 EPS target to 12-15 cents, the midpoint below analysts' views of 15 cents, but...
HULU, a joint venture of News Corp. (NWS) and GE's (GE) NBC Universal unit, saw viewership rise 42% to 34.7 mil in Feb., making it the nation's...
Williams-Sonoma (WSM), a home decor chain, said Q4 EPS fell 73% to 31 cents ex items, beating views by 15 cents. Revenue fell 27% to $1.01 bil,...
Air Force looks at bling for jets
Computer security, like any security, needs a certain amount of firepower. But it also needs a brain.
EBay's Skype targets businesses. The online auctioneer's Internet calling unit has taken the wraps off a version of its software that connects to...
MERCK (MRK), the drugmaker, said it received a letter from a U.S. Attorney's Office confirming that it is a target of a previously-disclosed...
MGM Mirage (MGM), the struggling casino owner, faces a lawsuit from partner Dubai World over the planned $8.6 bil CityCenter complex on the Las...
Players try Twitter during games
Like a lot of other states, highway construction in Texas should move into overdrive thanks to new funds from the federal stimulus program. The...
Health care giants Johnson & Johnson, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline have reportedly bid about $4 bil for skin care specialty...
Boston Scientific (BSX), a medical device maker, said it will pay $50 mil to settle a dispute with an inventor who claimed the company's...
Maggots prescribed for leg ulcers
The ailing economy hasn't impaired the health of the nation's drug and medical supply distributors.
Americans have cut back sharply on new auto purchases. But that only means they're driving their old cars longer. And that translates into more...
Off-price Ross on target in Q4. The discount apparel retailer met Wall St. profit forecasts for a 9% rise to 76 cents. Sales rose 5% to $1.73 bil,...
3COM (COMS), the networking gear maker, said Q3 EPS jumped 63% to 13 cents ex items, beating views by 3 cents. Sales fell 3.5% to $325 mil, below...
Alcoa (AA) raised $1.3 bil from a stock and convertible note offering, more than expected. The aluminum giant on Mon. said it planned to raise...
Doubts raised on prostate tests
Anyone with an interest in rental property would do well to keep an eye on Washington. Landlords could soon have to track more specifics about...
When President Obama was sworn in on a cold January morning, a small Houston company helped deliver hundreds of thousands of Americans to the event.
Intuit reports TurboTax gains. The finance software maker said use of its TurboTax federal tax preparation software is up about 10% so far this...
CINTAS (CTAS), a rental uniform provider, said its Q3 EPS fell 11.3% to 47 cents, a penny below views. Sales fell 7% to $909 mil, below views....
Fannie Mae (FNM), the gov't-backed mortgage giant, plans to pay retention bonuses of up to $611,000 to key execs this year to keep them from...
Texting trash cans hit the streets
Whatever the shape of the Obama administration's health care plan, it's a good bet that pharmacy benefit managers will continue to play a big role.
Q4 miss hits Canadian Solar. The solar-cell maker swung to a Q4 loss of $1.39 a share ex items, far worse than views of a 31-cent loss. Sales fell...
GUESS (GES), the clothing retailer, said Q4 EPS rose 14% to 67 cents ex items, besting views by 30%. Sales grew 9% to $561 mil, above estimates....
Citigroup (C), the struggling bank, was fined $2 mil by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for trade-reporting violations, including...
Laser to stop malaria in Africa
Many recession-resistant medical companies have faltered during this economic downturn. They've taken a hit from hospitals cutting back on capital...
Cisco to sell data center servers.
TARGET (TGT), a discount retailer, said it will nominate for reelection four board members whose terms expire this year. The company's activist...
Homebuilder sentiment was unchanged in March as recession-hit buyers stayed on the sidelines, the National Association of Home Builders said. The...
Tight-lipped firms pay for silence
Can retail dynamo Aeropostale follow the same recipe it's used to whet teens' appetites to win over their younger brothers and sisters?
Palm seen catching up to rivals. The smart phone maker surged 6.7% to 8.39 after it was upgraded to outperform by RBC Capital Markets, which said...
CME Group (CME), the exchange operator, and its CMDX joint venture said after hours that they had received the SEC's OK to clear and trade credit...
For the long haul, U.S. is upbeat
In January 2008, dictator Hugo Chavez decreed that Venezuela would no longer export asphalt. It came as a shock to some. At the time, Venezuela...
On your way to work one morning, you get in a terrible car accident and are rushed to the hospital. You eventually wake up to find yourself lying...
Apple to unveil iPhone software. The maker of the iPhone, iPod and Mac said it will hold an event Tue. to preview new software for its smart...
AEROPOSTALE (ARO), a specialty teen retailer, said its Q4 EPS rose 9% to $1.01, beating views by a penny. Revenue increased 17% to $690 mil....
Imax (IMAX), a maker of movie systems, said its Q4 loss narrowed to 11 cents ex items, beating views by 3 cents. Revenue fell 13% to $28.1 mil....
New battery charges in seconds
The latest U.S. job-loss figures spell out a troubling story for homeowners, in areas hit hard by the housing downturn and elsewhere.
Small rural hospitals stepped up purchases of new electronic health records systems for a couple of years starting in 2004, coinciding with a...
Apple unveils iPod; OS delayed. The company launched a smaller version of the iPod shuffle, its least expensive music player. Apple's AAPL...
GENENTECH (DNA), a biotech, and peer Biogen (BIIB) said a trial failed to show the drug Rituxan is effective for kidney inflammation caused by...
W.W. Grainger (GWW), a maintenance-products distributor, said its Feb. daily sales fell 10% vs. a year ago, due to weak demand. Shares slid 1.5%...
Okla., Utah lead in cutting cords
Fire-safe cigarettes catching on
Tetra Tech works in fields that are in fairly high demand these days: water resources, infrastructure and the environment. And its top customers...
Apple netbook seen in the works. The maker of the iPhone, iPod and Mac PC may launch a netbook with a touch-screen monitor as soon as the 2nd half...
AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION (APEI), a for-profit education provider, lifted Q1 EPS 42% to 27 cents, beating views by 4 cents. Sales grew 49% to...
Not a lot of firms can say 2008 was a better year for them than 2007, and that this year will be even better.
The online retailer was upgraded to buy from neutral by Piper Jaffray, which said superior customer service will help Amazon.com AMZN take more...
AEROVIRONMENT (AVAV), a maker of unmanned aircraft, said Q3 EPS fell 25% to 21 cents, missing views by 7 cents. Sales rose 8% to $52 mil, below...
Ford's (F) union workers approved wage freezes and health care cutbacks. Shares rose 2.4%.
Use of public transit picking up
Home prices, retail sales, GDP, employment and just about any other indicator you can think of are in decline.
The company that helps Americans prepare tax returns surged 7.9% to 18.58 after it lifted Q3 EPS 150% to 20 cents ex items, a dime above views....
FANNIE MAE (FNM), the mortgage giant, extended its suspension of eviction proceedings through March 31, as it implements the Obama...
Hasbro (HAS), the toy maker, had its debt upgraded by Fitch Ratings, which cited the company's "improving operating performance." It...
Men can shape up with new girdle
Growth has slowed dramatically for the software industry in recent months, prompting hiring freezes and layoffs.
How do you get recession-battered consumers to loosen their purse strings?
Terra's board rejects rival's bid. The fertilizer maker's board urged shareholders to reject a hostile buyout offer from CF Industries CF, saying...
MARVELL TECHNOLOGY (MRVL), a chipmaker, said Q4 EPS fell 75% to 5 cents ex items, but topped views by 4 cents. Sales dropped 35% to $513 mil,...
K-Swiss (KSWS), the shoemaker, reported a Q4 loss of 39 cents a share, missing views by 17 cents. Revenue tumbled 28% to $56 mil, above estimates....
Calling deadly for walkers, drivers
Investors are left out of the $75 billion housing bailout just detailed by President Obama's administration.
Yes, these are tough times. But sports nuts are still sports nuts.
Big Lots soars on results, outlook. The discount retailer leapt 18% to 17.15 after it said Q4 EPS gained 8% to $1 ex items, beating views by 7...
PETSMART (PETM), a pet food supplier, said its Q4 EPS rose 5% to 62 cents, topping views by 3 cents. Sales rose 2% to $1.36 bil, in line with...
High-tech glasses help blind see
Redeploying troops involves a lot more than just moving a few people. Thousands of vehicles and tons of equipment need to be inventoried, tracked,...
Apple touts lower desktop prices. The maker of the iMac, iPhone and iPod took the wraps off a refreshed desktop computer lineup, stressing the...
VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS (VRTX), which is developing a drug for hepatitis C, said it's buying ViroChem Pharma in a stock and cash deal worth $377 mil.
Blount Int'l (BLT), which makes lawn-mower blades, chainsaw chains and other outdoor gear, said Q4 EPS fell 26% to 14 cents, missing views by 4...
Scientists try nanoscale origami
The wind that whips across the Great Plains states has enough punch to light cities, move commuter trains and run factories. The trouble has...
Tower EPS tops, guides Q1 above. The insurer said Q4 EPS increased 5% to 82 cents ex items, beating views by 2 cents. Revenue jumped 21% to $136...
GENZYME (GENZ) said the FDA won't approve its medication Lumizyme to treat Pompe disease until it resolves several issues. The delay may hurt '09...
FTI Consulting (FCN), a business consulting firm, said its Q4 EPS fell 3.3% to 58 cents, beating views by 4 cents. Revenue rose 15% to $323 mil....
Software can foil laptop thieves
