Sony Rises After Beating Estimates as Hirai Revamp Fuels Growth
©2015 Bloomberg News NN8G906K50XZ (Bloomberg) — Sony Corp. rose the most in almost three weeks in Tokyo after raising its profit forecast a second time as Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai’s revamp stokes earnings from games and financial services. The shares rose as much as 3.4 percent to 3,800 yen as
Energy ‘Drill-and-Dump’ Roadmap for Private Equity Has Ended
©2015 Bloomberg News Tina Davis (Bloomberg) — The biggest players in energy have gathered in Houston for IHS CERAWeek, amid the worst price rout in six years. Here are five takeaways from Wednesday’s sessions: * For U.S. private-equity firms, the days of drill-and-dump are over, said Blackstone Energy Partners CEO
Natural Gas Rises as Cold Midwest Weather Spurs Heating Demand
©2015 Bloomberg News NN687H6JTSEC (Bloomberg) — Natural gas futures advanced for the first time in three days in New York as chilly weather may spur demand for the heating fuel. Temperatures will be below normal in the Midwest, Northeast and mid-Atlantic states through April 30, said MDA Weather Services. Chicago’s
The Presidential Campaign Will Soon Be Over: Francis Wilkinson
©2015 Bloomberg View NN6A8W6JTSE9 (Bloomberg View) — American elections are being outsourced. The Associated Press and National Journal have each reported that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s nascent presidential campaign is about to do something as logical and inevitable as it is alarming: entrust the thrust and parry of the campaign to a
Brazil Makes Latin America Fallen Angels Hub, Moody’s Says
©2015 Bloomberg News NN6ADH6KLVR8 (Bloomberg) — Brazil’s stagnant economy and sinking currency are putting investment-grade ratings at risk, making Latin America the region with the biggest number of high-grade bonds that could end up as junk, Moody’s Investors Service said. Power producer Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA and builder Construtora Norberto
Asia’s Economy Has a Growing Problem With China: William Pesek
©2015 Bloomberg View NN4IC26KLVRM (Bloomberg View) — Asia has a China problem. Beijing has just initiated its biggest cut in bank reserve requirements since 2008, a move that underscores just how worried it is about its economy. But it’s also a stark wake-up call for neighbors that have gotten used to riding
Apple, IBM Lead Tech Gain Before Earnings as U.S. Stocks Rebound
©2015 Bloomberg News NN4H226KLVRA (Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks surged, recovering nearly all of Friday’s selloff, as technology shares including Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. rallied before the industry’s largest companies provide a clearer picture of quarterly earnings. Computer and Internet shares in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index surged 1.8
BlackRock Agrees to Pay $12 Million Over SEC Conflicts Claim
©2015 Bloomberg News NN4H0M6KLVR4 (Bloomberg) — BlackRock Inc. agreed to pay $12 million to settle U.S. regulatory claims that it failed to disclose a conflict of interest of a top portfolio manager. Daniel J. Rice III, a former money manager, invested client money in a BlackRock fund that had a
A Well Thought Out Scream By James Riordan: Florida City Sending “Spies” into Churches!
Sending Spies into Churches: It seems as though the line between church and state is getting blurrier all the time. First we had the Mayor of Houston demanding that that city’s pastors turn in their sermon to her office for approval (an order later rescinded) and now we have the
Hedge Funds Turn Most Bullish on Oil in 8 Months as Output Slows
©2015 Bloomberg News NN2SO76JTSEE (Bloomberg) — Hedge funds increased bets on rising oil prices to an eight-month high on signs U.S. production is slowing. Speculators boosted their net-long position in West Texas Intermediate crude by 9 percent in the seven days ended April 14 to the highest since August, U.S.