Archive for February 2012
Upward pressure on material prices
Increased turmoil in the Middle East is pushing up oil prices and may be having an effect on U.S. construction materials prices in general, according to Associated Builders and Contractors Chief Economist Anirban Basu. The …
Read MoreFBL announces dividend
West Des Moines-based FBL Financial Group Inc. on Thursday announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents per share on its Class A and Class B common stock. The …
Read MoreDowntown C.R. project lands tenant
CliftonLarsonAllen plans to move to downtown Cedar Rapids by Jan. 1, 2013, as one of the first tenants of a new professional office building, the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported. The accounting and consulting firm formed …
Read MoreRegister employees get buyout offer
Twenty-five employees at The Des Moines Register have been offered early-retirement buyouts by parent company Gannett Co. Inc., according to a blog site that focuses on the nationwide newspaper company. Gannett Blog recently published a …
Read MoreHelp may be near for Greece
Greece appears to be closing in on a new international rescue package, Reuters reported, despite unresolved doubts among eurozone partners about how fast it will manage to bring its debt down.
On Thursday, Athens outlined …
Read MoreMidwest confidence on the rise
The monthly Rural Mainstreet Index survey, conducted among bankers in 10 states including Iowa, found a strong jump in economic confidence in February. The category, which reflects expectations for the economy six months out, rose …
Read MoreLee eyes reverse stock split; exec compensation increases
Lee Enterprises, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 30, is asking its shareholders to approve a reverse stock split to “improve the perception of our common stock as an investment security,” according to …
Wind energy tax credit again up in the air
The wind isn’t likely to ever stop blowing in Iowa, but wind turbine development in the state could slow to a halt if a key federal tax credit isn’t extended, say Iowa’s congressional leaders.
The …
Read MoreBERKO: Tap into Regency Energy
Dear Mr. Berko:
A long-time friend of mine who says he knows you well has had some good successes in the market during the past six years buying oil and gas limited partnerships, high-yielding convertibles …
Read MoreBERKO: The delicate art of money laundering
Dear Mr. Berko:
A friend of mine is going to sell a building he has owned for years at a very large profit, and the tax bite, according to one accountant, will be almost $120,000. …
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