Category: Business News

Wal-Mart: What Went Wrong?

Wal-Mart reported its ninth-straight quarter of same-store sales losses for its U.S. unit. Overall profit was up 5.7%, carried by overseas gains, but the U.S. business continues to suffer.
Target Corp. (NYSE: TGT) the second-largest U.S. discount retailer, may have found a strategy to oust Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) as the No. 1 discount-shopping source.

Another Recession is on the way!

WASHINGTON — Discouraging economic data from around the globe have heightened fears that another recession is on the way.

Fresh evidence emerged Thursday that U.S. home sales and manufacturing are weakening. Signs also surfaced that European banks are increasingly burdened by the region’s debt crisis and sputtering economy.

The rising anxiety ignited a huge sell-off in stocks that led many investors to seek the safety of U.S. Treasurys.

Foreign Currency Brokers Come Under Fire

ompanies that allow home investors to trade foreign currencies are coming under fire as regulators consider whether to put more rules on the fast-growing but risky market.

Currency brokers allow ordinary Americans to speculate on the value of dollars, euros and yen, and have grown revenue 374% since 2007, drawing in 615,000 American traders, according to the Aite Group consulting firm.

The most intense recent criticism of these brokers came from a hedge fund manager who researches and invests in companies that cater to home investors.