The 2011 fourth-quarter earnings has shown that most companies are still laser-focused on whittling down costs to wring every ounce of profit from sluggish, or nonexistent, revenue growth. However, Caterpillar is in a different camp though, and after a record-breaking year the heavy equipment make says it expects to add costs in 2012 through increased capital [...]
McDonald’s beat the Street on Tuesday by posting an 11% jump in fourth-quarter profits. McDonald’s, the world’s largest hamburger chain, enjoyed strong quarterly sales growth and its best U.S. results since 2006. The Oak Brook, IL-based blue-chip company said it earned $1.38 billion, or $1.33 a share, last quarter, compared with a profit of $1.24 billion, [...]
Of course, most analysts agree that doesn’t mean Kodak is down for the count. Quite the opposite. But to see the premier powerhouse of the film age trying to shed debt and restructure to survive is sad. Kodak gave us the first mass-market camera, the Brownie, as well as the first instant cameras. Anyone who [...]
General Motors has bounced back from bankruptcy and sold 9.026m vehicles last year to again claim the number one carmaker position. General Motors regained its mantle as the world’s top-selling carmaker from Toyota last year, but faces a challenge to stay on top this year as its rival rebuilds its business after being affected by disasters in [...]
Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rose in January to the highest level in more than four years as sales and buyer traffic improved. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo sentiment gauge increased to 25 this month, exceeding the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News and reaching the highest level since June 2007, the [...]
According to multiple sources on Monday, Facebook’s long-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) is now likely to come in the third week of May. That means that the company must file its IPO documents within the next month, given that the review by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) usually takes about three to four months. That [...]
Video game sales failed to live up to high hopes in December, with total industry sales falling 21 percent to $3.99 billion from $5.07 billion a year ago. For the year, game sales were $17.02 billion, down 8 percent from $18.59 billion a year ago, according to market researcher NPD Group. The poor performance of [...]
Hostess Brands is hoping to cut its high costs as it heads back into bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than a decade. Hostess has enough cash to keep stores stocked with its Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and other snacks for now as it battles rising labor costs and increased competition. But longer [...]
Coors Light surpassed Budweiser in 2011 to become the country’s No. 2-selling beer, according to the trade publication Beer Marketer’s Insights. The milestone, which has been widely anticipated for more than a year, is the result of years of declines by Budweiser. Budweiser is the only full-calorie beer in the top five U.S. beers, according to [...]
The release of Nike’s new Air Jordan basketball shoes are causing a crazy frenzy at stores across the United States early Friday. Police using pepper spray on a group of rowdy customers near Seattle and officers arresting some shoppers after a crowd broke down a door in suburban Atlanta. A group of about 20 people were [...]
