financial markets

US stocks drifted downward Friday, with the tech sector in focus after disappointing results from computer maker Dell on the heels of a downgrade of several key semiconductor stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 10.95 points (0.11 percent) in opening trades to 10,321.49 after two consecutive losing sessions. The tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 10.32 points (0.48 percent) to 2,146.50 and the broad-market Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 2.44 points (0.22 percent) to 1,092.46. Stocks started off the

The technology sector is in trouble...as traders have reacted negatively to Dell's third-quarter earnings report   -Joseph Hargett

 

Indices of the national bourse remained bearish for the third consecutive week due to a package of reasons. The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) posted the lowest drop in seven months due to limited intervention by the "billion's portfolio," where it currently deals in only KD 400 million, compared to KD 1.5 billion in the past. The report alluded the downturn tendency of the stock trading to delay of adoption of the financial stability law, stumbling of the Zain deal, in addition to Agility's hiking price  

With reference to the earlier announcements dated November 06, 2009 and November 11, 2009, Tata Power Company Ltd has informed BSE that the allotment of a US$ 300 Million Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCB) has been completed on November 20, 2009. The Company had earlier this month launched and priced a US$ 250 Million + upsize option of US$50 Million, 5 years and 1 day, 1.75% coupon FCCB offering, subject to certain conditions to the closing of the issue. The FCCBs are convertible at 10% premium ov  

Despite lofty valuations by Twitter insiders of as much as $20 per share -- or $1.3 billion all told -- the company won't be worth that much until at least 2015, market experts said. At best, they added, Twitter is a $2 stock with a market value closer to $130 million due to its lack of revenue. "Paying $20 a share for Twitter is a leap of faith," said Laurence Allen, CEO of NYPPEX LLC, a leading private trading network that lets institutions buy and sell blocks of investments valued at $5 million or

We want to do something that's organic and in the flow of the way people already use Twitter -- and not: 'Here's the tweets and here are the ads,'   -Dick Costolo

 

When a perching bird sits on a branch, a special tendon on the backside of the ankle triggers its feet to clasp tightly. Thus, the bird can sleep without toppling off its roost. Investors sitting on a successful stock have a similar tendency: to grasp tightly.  

Despite a flagging economy and growing indications of a weak recovery, U.S. stocks continue to climb at a steady clip. But analysts said the market is overvalued and headed for a drop. Meredith Whitney, Chief Executive Officer of the Meredith Whitney advisory group, expressed pessimism about the market in an interview this week on CNBC, a cable TV network.  

Concerns about Ukrainian debt took centre-stage Friday on European stock markets. The state-owned Ukraine railway company last week defaulted on a $550 million syndicated loan. Steps are being taken to restructure the loan, however nervousness has set in about Ukraine debt, and sovereign debt generally.  

Yesterday's weather forecast proved accurate, and judging by the look of trading at most of the international stock exchanges today, except India, the storm clouds have remained. Traders who have a few years experience at these things are now waiting for a tropical cyclone to strike, and the storm appears to be gathering in the land of make believe aka banking and finance. The TED Spread, which has been falling all year now appears ready to rise, which as and when it happens puts a squeeze on US credit  

U.S. stocks fell for a third straight day on Friday, Nov 20 as investors took weaker-than-expected results from computer maker Dell and homebuilder D.R. Horton as a further sign that the recovery would be anemic, according to Reuters. Following the S&P 500's gain of more than 60 percent from its 12-year closing low of March 9, investors have become more sensitive to signs of weakness as they sought to justify lofty share valuations. "While it appears to us that the recession is over, there are a lot o