SmartBlogs for SIFMA SmartBrief
Kerry to McCain: Who s the Flip-Flopper Now?
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 4 minutes ago
Susan Davis reports from Denver inside the convention hall. Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic Party's 2004 nominee, was the target of relentless attacks in his race against President Bush for being a "flip-flopper" and his infamous line that "I was for it before I was against it," in reference [...]
Convention Video: Clinton Calls for Obama s Nomination
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 25 minutes ago
WSJ’s Jerry Seib reports on the roll call at the Democratic convention, which has been ignored in years past but this year offered a dramatic moment for a party in need of healing. Hillary Clinton’s state of New York gave Barack Obama the nomination.
Kerry? Kerry Who?
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 31 minutes ago
Following Bill Clinton's barn-burner of a speech, all three cable networks cut away from the stage to their political analysts. Who was speaking in the meantime? None other than Sen. John Kerry, whom you might remember from such presidential campaigns...
Bill Clinton: I Am Here First to Support Barack Obama'
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 37 minutes ago
Susan Davis reports from Denver inside the convention hall. Former President Bill Clinton made the objective of his convention speech tonight clear in his opening words. "I am here first to support Barack Obama," he said, "And second, I'm here to warm up the crowd for Joe Biden." The 42nd [...]
Bill Clinton s Speech at the Democratic Convention
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 37 minutes ago
The prepared text of the speech given by former President Bill Clinton in Denver at the Democratic convention. I am honored to be here tonight to support Barack Obama. And to warm up the crowd for Joe Biden, though as you’ll soon see, he doesn’t need any help from me. I love [...]
How Would You Grade Bill Clinton s Speech?
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 43 minutes ago
Former President Bill Clinton made a full-throated endorsement for party nominee Barack Obama as a leader ready to confront any challenge. “Everything I’ve learned in my eight years as president and the work I’ve done since, in America and across the globe, has convinced me that Barack Obama is the [...]
Time to Play Tourist in Denver
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 1 hour 20 minutes ago
Stephanie Simon reports from Denver on the Democratic convention. You can only conduct party business so many hours a day. So delegates are finding plenty of time to play tourist. And what tourists! As they stroll the streets of Denver, convention credentials slung around their necks, Obama buttons pinned proudly to lapels, delegates [...]
Obama s Convention Speech Inspired by Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 1 hour 39 minutes ago
Nick Timiraos reports from Denver on the Democratic National Convention. Barack Obama arrived in Denver on Wednesday afternoon, and though he isn't scheduled to appear until Thursday night, his campaign hinted that there was a good chance he would make an appearance at the Pepsi Center tonight. Obama landed and [...]
Mark Warner Emphasizes the Takeaways
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 1 hour 39 minutes ago
Sara Murray reports from Denver on the Democratic convention. If Sen. Barack Obama hopes to win Virginia in November he's going to have to find a way to relate to the rural voter, says former Virginia governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Warner. Throughout the South Side of Virginia, Southwest Virginia and [...]
Convention Video: Will Clinton Outshine Biden?
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 1 hour 39 minutes ago
The talk in Denver today focused on what former President Bill Clinton will say in his convention speech tonight–and whether he’ll outshine vice presidential nominee Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. WSJ’s Jerry Seib reports:
Starring Role: McCain Camp Focuses on Clinton
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 1 hour 45 minutes ago
Elizabeth Holmes reports from Sedona on the presidential race. Hillary Clinton has taken a starring role in the John McCain campaign in recent days, using her as the centerpiece of two advertisements aimed at wooing her supporters across party lines. The trend continued on Wednesday, when McCain campaign manager Rick Davis used [...]
Denver Vendors Hawk Everything Obama
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 2 hours 23 minutes ago
Stephanie Simon reports from Denver on the Democratic convention. Conventions and capitalism go hand-in-hand as a stroll down Denver's 16th Street Mall makes clear. The pedestrian mall is packed with vendors selling every possible souvenir. It's hard to imagine how many items can be emblazoned with Sen. Barack Obama's image [...]
FL Poll: Obama +1
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 3 hours 13 minutes ago
Bucking the most recent set of polls in Florida, Mason-Dixon is out with a new survey (Aug 25-26, 625 LV, MoE +/- 4.0%) showing Barack Obama with a one-point lead over John McCain: Obama 45 McCain 44 Undecided 11 Overall,...
It's Official
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 3 hours 13 minutes ago
Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for President and the first African-American presidential nominee in history....
PETA s Pork Project: No Ham for These Pigs
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 3 hours 31 minutes ago
Brody Mullins reports from Denver on the Democratic National Convention. Democrats here don't like to be called pinkos. But that doesn't go for one of this week’s biggest attractions: Two people dressed head-to-toe in bright-pink pig costumes who have been driving around in a convertible handing out literature on their pet [...]
Infighting at MSNBC
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 3 hours 37 minutes ago
More testiness between MSNBC anchors: "Tokyo Rose"? And there have been waves between Scarborough and David Shuster, and Olbermann and Tom Brokaw....
Next Treasury Secretary: Geithner, Bair?
Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics, The | 3 hours 56 minutes ago
Sen. Barack Obama hasn’t officially accepted the nomination as the Democratic presidential nominee, but already there is chatter about who he may pick as the next secretary of the Treasury if elected. Receiving the most buzz is Federal Reserve Bank of New York President Timothy Geithner, who has won plaudits [...]
Column-gate!
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 4 hours 2 minutes ago
The McCain camp is having a good time with the columns that will form the backdrop of Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Field. Of course, as Ben Smith points out, George Bush had a fondness for columns as well....
It s (Almost) Official: Live-Blogging the Roll Call Vote
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 4 hours 8 minutes ago
Susan Davis reports from Denver inside the convention hall. Alabama: 60 votes. 48 for Barack Obama. 5 for Hillary Clinton. Alaska: 18 votes. 15 for Obama. 3 for Clinton. American Samoa: 9 votes. Unanimous for Obama. Arizona: 67 votes. 40 votes for Obama. 27 for Clinton. Arkansas: 47 votes. Unanimous for Obama. California: Passes! Colorado: 70 [...]
CNN/Time Poll: CO, NV, NM, PA
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 4 hours 46 minutes ago
The new CNN/Time poll (August 24-26, MoE +/- 4%) shows Obama leading McCain in three of four swing states, with the candidates tied in the fourth. Obama leads in Nevada (+5), New Mexico (+13) and Pennsylvania (+5), while Colorado is...
Man Accused of Extorting Blacksone Executive Blames Firm
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 4 hours 58 minutes ago
A man accused of trying to extort millions of dollars from his son-in-law, an executive of the Blackstone Group, on Wednesday blamed the private equity firm for his "malicious" arrest and charges, Reuters reported.
1980 and 2008: A Contrast in Concessions
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 5 hours 33 minutes ago
Aaron Rutkoff reports from Denver on the Democratic convention. Two of the most dramatic moments from the Democratic convention have featured featured members of two dominant Democratic families: Sen. Edward Kennedy and Sen. Hillary Clinton. But beyond shaping the narrative of the current convention, the two political icons share another defining [...]
Cisco to Buy PostPath For $215 Million
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 5 hours 46 minutes ago
From Bits: Cisco announced Wednesday that it will acquire PostPath, a venture-backed start-up that provides open-source e-mail and calendaring software, for $215 million.
Goldman Shares Shrug Off More Bad News
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 5 hours 52 minutes ago
Despite a small flurry of bad news on Wednesday, including two negative analyst reports and another inquiry by New York's attorney general, Goldman Sachs and its stock price appeared to be made of Teflon.
Top Five Sectors Getting Hit by the Credit Crunch
Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics, The | 6 hours 10 minutes ago
Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has already downgraded almost as many companies through the first eight months of this year (361) as it did for all of 2007 (382), and now it has named the five sectors with the highest risks for further drops. Financials — This one isn’t really a [...]
Huntsman’s Discovery Missteps
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 6 hours 18 minutes ago
The Huntsman-Hexion trial is fast approaching and the parties have been engaging in low-grade trench warfare over discovery requests which have made Hunstman appear rather foolish, according to the Deal Professor.
Republicans Face Their Own Football Issue
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 6 hours 50 minutes ago
Rebecca Dana and Elizabeth Holmes report on politics and football. Barack Obama may get to give his acceptance speech in a football stadium Thursday, but exactly one week later, John McCain will have a football issue of another kind. The Republican candidate will accept his party's nomination on Sept. 4, the [...]
TNS Loses One Suitor and Rejects Another
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 6 hours 50 minutes ago
The British market research company Taylor Nelson Sofres rejected again on Wednesday a hostile bid from the WPP Group after its preferred merger partner walked away, but analysts said the company would have difficulty evading WPP.
How Wall Street’s Laid-Off Lick Their Wounds
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 7 hours 2 minutes ago
Being laid off is no fun. Nor is searching for a new job. But the interim may prove a lot of fun, at least for some well-compensated and recently jobless bankers.
Ben Affleck: Poker Champ in Denver
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 7 hours 9 minutes ago
Brody Mullins reports from Denver on the Democratic convention. They say Hollywood stars are dominating the show here. Ben Affleck certainly is. Last night (or rather, early this morning), Affleck won a charity poker tournament sponsored by the poker industry's lobbying group and made good on a promise he made before coming [...]
U.S. Moves Toward International Accounting Rules
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 7 hours 28 minutes ago
The Securities and Exchange Commission moved Wednesday to allow some large American companies to begin using international accounting standards as early as next year, and to require all American companies to do so by 2016.
The Buzz On The Big Ones
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 7 hours 41 minutes ago
Three big speeches to go in DNC-land: Biden, Bubba, and, of course, Barack. Tonight, featuring the latter two, will focus on national security. Congressional Quarterly fills in the details: Democrats will use Wednesday night to try once again to persuade...
Novak Returns...
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 7 hours 41 minutes ago
...and throws his signature cold water all over McCain-Lieberman: Influential McCain backers, plus McCain himself, would pick the pro-choice liberal from Connecticut if they thought they could get away with it. But they can't get away with it -- and...
Convention Video: Clinton Supporters Want Their Voices Heard
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 8 hours 7 minutes ago
How far will Hillary Clinton’s die-hard supporters go to get their voices heard in Denver at the Democratic National Convention? WSJ.com’s Andy Jordan hangs out with the Hillary faithful at a march, a candlelight vigil and at a Republican National Committee “happy hour” designed to woo scorned Hillary fans.
Kanye West Bash: Priceless for Some, $90 for Others
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 8 hours 39 minutes ago
Brody Mullins reports from Denver on the Democratic National Convention. Lawmakers and congressional aides hoping to party for free all week at the Democratic National Convention here got their first dose of reality when the House Ethics Committee decided that tonight's Kayne West bash violates ethics rules. Kanye West (AP) The decision, [...]
Bill Clinton s Speech Likely to Address Economy
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 8 hours 39 minutes ago
Susan Davis reports from Denver on the Democratic convention. Former President Bill Clinton will address the convention tonight, but what exactly Clinton will say is anybody's guess. The theme of the evening, "Securing America's Future," is supposed to be national and foreign policy focused, but Clinton advisers say the former president [...]
For Real Estate Investors, London Is Calling
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 8 hours 39 minutes ago
The potential rumble over London's Liberty International comes as property prices in Britain have fallen dramatically and could be a sign that a bottom has materialized in certain market segments.
Democrats Prepare for Convention Roll Call
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 9 hours ago
Susan Davis reports from Denver on the Democratic convention. Hillary Clinton's name will be put in for the Democratic nomination today under an agreement reached earlier by the Clinton and Barack Obama camps. The proceedings are scheduled to take place between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. local time in Denver. [...]
Distortion, Retribution
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 9 hours ago
DENVER - I have to agree with Greg Sargent and Andrew Sullivan about McCain's new ad. As a matter of politics, the ad is quite effective, but to generate that effect the McCain campaign has taken Obama's words out of...
Icahn’s Problems With Proxy Contests
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 9 hours 7 minutes ago
Carl C. Icahn seems to be getting the hang of blogging. The activist investor has a new post up on his site, The Icahn Report, for the second time this week, and this time he gripes about proxy contests.
McCain Changes Tack on Taxes
Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics, The | 9 hours 52 minutes ago
Sen. John McCain hasn’t always been a hero of conservatives when it comes to tax cuts. But by adopting proposals from conservative, antitax voices in his party as his own, McCain has helped to silence erstwhile critics on the right. McCain speaks to the American Legion National Convention in Phoenix [...]
Chrysler Explores Sale of Dodge Viper Unit
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 10 hours 33 minutes ago
Chrysler, the automaker, is exploring strategic options for its Dodge Viper sports car business as the struggling company tries to raise cash to ride out a deepening industry downturn in the United States.
Durables Orders May Suggest Fed s Gloom Unwarranted
Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics, The | 10 hours 40 minutes ago
According to the Federal Reserve’s August 5 meeting minutes released Tuesday “many FOMC participants noted that recent developments suggested that economic activity was likely to remain damped for several quarters.” Fed staff economists also cut their second-half 2008 and 2009 GDP forecasts. That gloom may be unwarranted, Tuesday’s data suggest. (Getty [...]
Democrats Set Up War Room for GOP Convention
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 10 hours 47 minutes ago
Stephanie Simon reports from Denver on the Democratic convention. The Democratic National Convention still has two days to go, but already some Democratic partisans are turning their attention toward the Republican gathering next week in St. Paul, Minn. Democratic operatives on Wednesday released details of their plans for a "war room" to [...]
So Where Are All the Protesters?
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 11 hours 8 minutes ago
Stephanie Simon reports from Denver on the Democratic convention. They predicted huge crowds tens of thousands of protesters, blocking traffic, turning heads, making powerful statements on issues as varied as the war in Iraq, global warming, even, oddly, the U.S.'s "illegal occupation" of Hawaii. But so far, activist leaders have been [...]
More Trouble in Savings & Loan Industry
Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics, The | 11 hours 31 minutes ago
The Treasury Department’s Office of Thrift Supervision released its quarterly review of the savings and loan industry Wednesday. Some key points: There were 17 thrifts on the agency’s “problem” list at the end of the second quarter, up from 12 at the end of March. The thrift industry lost $5.4 billion in [...]
Secondary Sources: Housing, Global Recession, Current Account
Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics, The | 11 hours 51 minutes ago
A roundup of economic news from around the Web. Shoring Up Housing: Writing for the Financial Times, Martin Feldstein offers suggestions for propping up the housing market. “This is a difficult problem and there are no easy solutions. I have proposed a program of ‘mortgage replacement loans’ that I believe would [...]
Obama, Biden On The Bus
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 12 hours 17 minutes ago
Obama and Biden -- and their wives -- are set to hit the road Friday, touring key battleground states following the Democratic convention's conclusion Thursday night. From an Obama campaign press release: Chicago, IL -- Today, the Obama campaign announced...
Fedspeak Highlights: Lockhart Sees Inflation Easing
Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics, The | 13 hours 16 minutes ago
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart calls the latest consumer inflation reading — 5.6% in July — “a high and worrisome number.” But says it’ll ease from that peak due to declines in energy prices, weak growth and financial market strains. Mr. Lockhart also says the increases in [...]
Convention Outlook: Joe Biden and Bill Clinton on Tap Wednesday
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 13 hours 22 minutes ago
Susan Davis reports from Denver on the Democratic National Convention. Vice presidential candidate and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden will address the Democratic convention tonight in what will be his first major speech since Barack Obama tapped him as his running mate on Saturday. Delaware Sen. Joe Biden (Getty) The night’s theme, [...]
Japan’s Ricoh to Buy Ikon for $1.6 Billion
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 13 hours 36 minutes ago
Ricoh, the Japanese printer and copier maker, said Wednesday that it has agreed to buy Ikon Office Solutions for about $1.6 billion in cash.
Off Message
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 13 hours 43 minutes ago
DENVER - Mary Mitchell of the Sun-Times was with Obama last night as they watched the convention from the home of a family in Montana along with some guests. Mitchell reports the scene from the family's living room: If anyone...
Clinton Delivers Emphatic Plea for Unity
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 13 hours 50 minutes ago
In the Headlines "Clinton Delivers Emphatic Plea for Unity" (Patrick Healy, New York Times) - With her husband looking on tenderly and her supporters watching with tears in their eyes, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton deferred her own dreams on Tuesday...
American Media Begins Last-Ditch Tender Offer for Debt
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 4 minutes ago
American Media, the tabloid publisher that owns The National Enquirer, quietly began a cash tender offer to buy out holders of $570 million of the company's debt, The New York Post reported. In exchange, noteholders were offered warrants to buy stock worth 20 percent of the private-equity-owned publisher.
McCain Ad: 'Tiny'
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 14 hours 19 minutes ago
A new McCain TV ad says Obama is "dangerously unprepared to be president." The campaign did not say where or when the ad would be aired. A Wall Street Journal article yesterday reported that of the three recent McCain ads...
Agency s Head Expects Banking s Crisis to Worsen
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 19 minutes ago
More than a year after the credit crisis first flared, Sheila C. Bair, the chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, warned on Tuesday that the outlook for the ailing banking industry was bad and getting worse.
Ore Hill Freezes Redemptions on Flagship Fund
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 25 minutes ago
Ore Hill Partners, a hedge fund specializing in credit strategies, has frozen redemptions fom its flagship fund, after investors clamoring for an exit triggered a cut-off provision.
Solazyme Said to Score $45 Million
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 25 minutes ago
Solazyme, which uses algae to produce biofuel and other products, has landed $45 million or more in fresh funding, according to VentureWire.
As Vice-Presidential Star Rises, Romney Is Targeted Once More
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 32 minutes ago
David Plouffe, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign manager, criticized Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential candidate who is considered a front-runner for Sen. John McCain's running-mate spot, as a "job-killing machine" at a briefing with reporters this week.
Dizzywood Raises $1 Million in Fresh Cash
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 32 minutes ago
Dizzywood, a virtual world start-up catering to kids, has raised $1 million from the European Founders Fund, peHUB reported, citing a regulatory filing.
Hedge Funds Sprout in Gaps in Real-Estate Lending
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 51 minutes ago
With money still tight, investors in real estate are forced to turn to hard-money lenders, who charge high interest for short-term loans. More often than not these days, those lenders are hedge funds, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Fear of Defaults After a Flurry of Apartment House Sales
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 51 minutes ago
The recent disclosure that the owners of Riverton Houses, a 1,228-unit apartment complex in Harlem, might default on their loan has shocked the real estate industry and raised fears about other apartment building deals from the not-so-distant past.
When Wall Street Returns, Will the I.P.O. Market Come With It?
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 51 minutes ago
Normally, the quiet summer season for the I.P.O. market gives way to a fresh burst of initial public offerings after Labor Day, as Wall Street wakes from its slumber. But, Fortune notes, these aren't normal times, raising the question of whether the I.P.O. market won't pull a sleeping beauty amd just stay asleep.
Nymex Employee Barred for Slipping Information to Brokers
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 51 minutes ago
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission barred former New York Mercantile Exchange employee from the industry after an investigation found he had been providing Nymex brokers with confidential information regarding investigations and proposed regulatory actions.
Stakebuilding in Britain’s Liberty Sparks Deal Chatter
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 14 hours 51 minutes ago
Speculation that Liberty International, a London-based property group, would become the target of a bidding war intensified yesterday after two international shopping mall giants revealed that they had amassed significant stakes in the listed company. Simon Property Group, the largest mall developer in the U.S., said it had raised its holding in Liberty for the second [...]
FL Poll: McCain +7
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 15 hours 4 minutes ago
A new Strategic Vision poll in Florida shows McCain leading Obama by 7 points. McCain led by a similar margin (49%-41%) when the last poll was taken in late June. This is the largest margin for McCain in any FL...
Three Buyout Firms Said Still in Race for Lehman Unit
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 4 minutes ago
Lehman Brothers has told three private equity firms that they remain in the bidding for its Neuberger Berman asset management arm, even though the investment bank has yet decide on whether to sell the unit, The Financial Times reported. Lehman, which has been soliciting offers for several assets including Neuberger and various hedge funds, has informed [...]
Clean-Tech V.C. Speaks to the Democrats
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 4 minutes ago
From Bits: Venture capital got a prime-time spot at the Democratic National Convention when Nancy Floyd, founder and managing director of Nth Power, a San Francisco clean-tech venture capital firm, addressed the crowd Tuesday.
Cuomo Said to Inquire Into Fidelity Ties to Auction-Rate Sale
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 11 minutes ago
The New York attorney general’s office is probing the relationship between Fidelity Investments and Goldman Sachs in connection with the sale of auction-rate securities, The Wall Street Journal reported. Investigators are looking at whether Fidelity’s relationship with Goldman may have given the mutual fund giant an incentive to sell the instruments, the newspaper said. According to The [...]
Money Squeeze Prompts New Debate on Infrastructure Privatization
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 17 minutes ago
Cleaning up road kill and maintaining runways may not sound like cutting-edge investments. But banks and funds with big money seem to think so. Reeling from more exotic investments that imploded during the credit crisis, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, the Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse are among the investors who have amassed an [...]
Most Hedge Funds Haven’t Thought Ahead on Succession, Study Finds
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 17 minutes ago
Hedge fund firms often pride themselves on being ahead of the curve on financial trends but roughly 70 percent lag behind on planning for their own futures, according to a study to be released on Tuesday. “Regardless of firm size, most participants have not taken all of the necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition in [...]
Alabama County Prepares for a Possible Bankruptcy Filing
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 17 minutes ago
Officials of Jefferson County in Alabama told their lawyers to prepare a bankruptcy filing if the county was unable to reach an agreement with creditors over how to escape from $3 billion of bonds with soaring interest rates. The Jefferson County Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to have the law firm of Bradley, Arant, Rose and [...]
Britian’s Imperial Agrees to Bid from Indian Rival
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 23 minutes ago
India’s biggest oil producer, ONGC, agreed on Tuesday to pay $2.6 billion for Imperial Energy of Britain, as India scrambles to meet the rising energy demands that come with an expanding economy. Whether India, which imports about three-quarters of its oil, will ultimately benefit from ONGC s bid for Imperial is unclear. China s state-owned oil company, Sinopec, [...]
Court Favors Pinault s Artemis in Insurance Suit
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 23 minutes ago
A United States appeals court threw out a $241 million restitution award against France s Artemis, which sprang from a lawsuit over the purchase of assets from the failed Executive Life Insurance Company, and ordered a retrial of the damages phase. The California insurance commissioner s lawsuit had accused Artemis, controlled by the billionaire Francois Pinault, and French [...]
Fannie and Freddie Can Absorb Losses, Analyst Says
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 23 minutes ago
Acting as somewhat of a lone voice in the wilderness, a Citigroup analyst said Tuesday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two biggest U.S. mortgage finance giants, have enough capital to absorb probable losses through the end of the year, reducing the need for emergency government support. Estimated second-half losses of more than $1 billion [...]
ConocoPhillips to Sell Gas Stations for $800 Million, Report Says
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 23 minutes ago
ConocoPhillips is expected to sell the remainder of its 600 company-owned gasoline stations to closely held PetroSun West for $800 million, The Wall Street Journal reported. The move is part of a broader trend by oil companies to focus their energies on locating new crude supplies rather than on the low-margin retail businesss, The Journal noted. [...]
Royal Bank of Scotland Appoints Outside Directors
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 31 minutes ago
The Royal Bank of Scotland announced on Wednesday it appointed a trio of non-executive directors in effort to address weaknesses on its board. The bank said that Stephen Hester, chief executive of British Land and former chief operating officer of Abbey National; John McFarlane, who retired last year from his career in banking which included [...]
G.M.’s Hummer Attracts Gulf Investors
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 31 minutes ago
General Motors has received interest from two separate investors from the Arab Gulf region to buy its Hummer brand, the company’s Middle East chief told Reuters on Tuesday. “For sure, there has been interest from various parties within the Gulf … there is a precedent in the cases of Aston Martin, Ferrari or Daimler and those [...]
Profit Doubles at Wealth Fund in Singapore
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 37 minutes ago
A Singaporean sovereign wealth fund, Temasek Holdings, said profit doubled to a record in its latest fiscal year, but warned that global stagflation slowing economic growth and quickening inflation might undermine its performance in coming years. Temasek s net profit rose to 18.2 billion Singaporean dollars ($12.8 billion) for the year ending March 31 from [...]
Rio Tinto’s Record First-Half Profit Helps in Battle With BHP
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 37 minutes ago
Rio Tinto, the global mining company, posted record first-half profit Tuesday, bolstering its effort to fend off a hostile takeover by BHP Billiton. Rio Tinto said the results had been lifted by booming demand for iron ore from steel makers in Asia and by the acquisition of the Canadian company Alcan for $38 billion in October. Net [...]
Thornburg Mortgage Teeters on the Edge
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 37 minutes ago
Thornburg Mortgage, a specialist in jumbo home loans, said its survival remained in doubt following additional margin calls, but it is on track to complete a restructuring and avoid collapse. The company’s chief executive, Larry Goldstone, said on Tuesday that the lender expects to complete an exchange offer next week for some preferred stock that will [...]
Profits Decline at Two Canadian Banks
New York Times/Dealbook, The | 15 hours 43 minutes ago
Bank of Montreal and Bank of Nova Scotia, the first Canadian banks to report third-quarter earnings, said profits declined on rising loan losses. Bank of Montreal, Canada s fourth-biggest bank, said net income for the period fell 21 percent, to 521 million Canadian dollars ($497 million), or 98 cents a share, its fifth straight profit decline. Scotiabank, the [...]
Obama Dials the Clintons
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 17 hours 48 minutes ago
Nick Timiraos reports on Democratic convention from Billings, Mont. President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton each received phone calls from Barack Obama after Sen. Clinton's primetime convention address on Tuesday night. Obama praised Clinton's speech, and told the New York senator that he loved her line, "No way, no how, [...]
Mixed Reviews from the Fox Team
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 22 hours ago
Not so much on whether it was a good, even great, speech. But did Hillary do what she needed to do for Barack Obama? Bill Kristol: "A shockingly minimal endorsement of Obama. She mentions him ten times and every mention,...
Hillary Does Her Duty
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 22 hours 19 minutes ago
Hillary hit most all the right notes tonight, and she hit them with authority. Obama supporters should be more than happy with Clinton's speech, and by the reaction of the crowd in the hall, they were. If there is one...
Clinton: Obama Must Be Our President
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 22 hours 37 minutes ago
Christopher Cooper reports from Denver on the Democratic convention. Sen. Hillary Clinton brought a message of unity to the Democratic convention in Denver Tuesday, telling supporters that "Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president.'' The highly anticipated speech, which was kept under tight wraps up until the moment [...]
Romney Matt, That Is Causes Stir at McCain Fund-Raiser
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 22 hours 49 minutes ago
Elizabeth Holmes reports from San Diego on the presidential race. With John McCain's vice presidential selection coming in a matter of days, every appearance matters. Which is why Matt Romney, the second of Mitt Romney's five sons and the only one who lives in Southern California, caused such a stir when he [...]
How Would You Grade Hillary Clinton s Speech?
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 22 hours 55 minutes ago
Since arriving in Denver, Sen. Hillary Clinton has assiduously made the case for Sen. Barack Obama. In tonight’s speech, she said: “Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our candidate.” She summoned millions of voters who supported her in the primaries to send Obama to the White House. [...]
Hillary Clinton s Speech at the Democratic Convention
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The | 23 hours 7 minutes ago
The prepared remarks of Sen. Hillary Clinton in Denver at the Democratic convention. I am honored to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama. My friends, it is time to take back the country we love. Whether you voted for me, [...]
First Thoughts on Warner's Keynote
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 23 hours 39 minutes ago
Offered by former Clinton communications director and now Fox News contributor Howard Wolfson: "The best thing you can say about Mark Warner's speech is that it was brief. It was a tremendously missed opportunity." Back to you, DNC....
The Mark Warner Infomercial
RealClearPolitics Blog, The | 23 hours 51 minutes ago
DENVER - What a wonderful 20 minute infomercial Mark Warner just got to deliver to millions of Americans around the country. The speech was pretty light on praise of Obama, pretty light on criticisms of George Bush and John McCain,...
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SmartBrief's simple blog reader, designed for the busy executive, does the work so you don't have to. "SmartBlogs" delivers in real time the influential voices of must-read industry bloggers, hand-selected and maintained by our expert editors. Be sure to bookmark this page and visit often.
Selected blogs for this industry includes:
AAO Weblog
The AAO Weblog is a blog by Jack Ciesielski, dealing with current accounting topics related to investment and finance.
RealClearPolitics Blog, The
News, opinion, and commentary on the political issues of the day
Wall Street Journal/Real Time Economics, The
Economic insight and analysis from The Wall Street Journal.
Wall Street Journal/Washington Wire, The
Political Insight and Analysis From The Wall Street Journal's Capital Bureau