Archive for January 2012
Investors aren’t stalking stocks
Valuations for U.S. equities have been stuck below the five-decade average for the longest period since Richard Nixon’s presidency, a sign that investors don’t trust earnings even after a three-year bull market, Bloomberg reported.
Analysts …
Read MoreForeclosures and delinquencies drop in Greater Des Moines
Foreclosure rates in Greater Des Moines decreased in November 2011 from the same period in 2010, according to newly released data from CoreLogic Inc. Foreclosures dropped to 2.48 percent in November 2011, compared with 2.69 percent …
Read MoreMidwest manufacturing increased in December
Manufacturing activity in the Midwest increased in December by 1.7 percent, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said today. Manufacturing output rose 8.4 percent from a year earlier. National output dropped 4 percent.…
Read MorePartnership will lead Pioneer deeper into the genetic weeds
Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. will partner with OligoCo Inc., a Washington state-based biotech company that specializes in genetic synthesis, to develop technology to improve crops. The two companies will work on technology that will use …
Read MoreInvestments in wind power expected to drop this year
Purchases of wind turbines and other equipment will decline 18 percent this year and won’t return to 2011 levels for five years, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Capital investment in wind-power assets worldwide will …
Read MoreSaving, not spending
Consumer spending was flat in December as households took advantage of the largest rise in income in nine months to boost their savings, Reuters reported after the release of a report from the U.S. Department …
Read MoreLarge banks want to preserve derivatives business
More than half of the derivatives-trading business of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Morgan Stanley and three other large banks could fall largely outside the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act if they succeed …
Read MoreSixth Avenue corridor receives federal grant
Efforts to improve Des Moines’ Sixth Avenue corridor will get a boost from a $430,000 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant that the city will share with eight other Iowa communities. The …
Read MoreMeredith dividend 50 percent higher than last year
The Meredith Corp. board of directors has declared a regular quarterly dividend of 38.25 cents per share, payable on March 15 to shareholders of record on Feb. 28. The dividend is 50 percent higher than …
Read MoreCommercial insurance rates will continue to rise, report says
Commercial insurance rates are expected to climb across many lines of business in 2012, continuing a trend that began in the second half of 2011, according to market report from insurance broker Marsh. Substantial catastrophe …
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