Archive for August 2012
Home builders’ stocks are rebounding
Key U.S. home builder shares are appreciating at a record rate this year, reflecting confidence that the housing rebound from a six-year slump can accelerate even though new-home sales are still 50 percent below the …
Read MoreSome insurers subject to same standards as bank holding companies
Insurers that operate thrifts would be subject to the same capital standards as banks at the holding company level except for certain unique insurance activities under new capital standards being proposed by federal regulators.
The …
Read MoreHNI announces acquisition
Muscatine-based HNI Corp. said today it has acquired BP Ergo Ltd., a manufacturer and marketer of office furniture in India. BP Ergo will operate as a stand-alone business. The acquisition is expected to have minimal …
Read MoreCrop insurance tally to date: $822 million
Crop insurers have paid out $822 million in claims this year with much of the nation suffering a severe drought, although it is too early to provide precise estimates of the losses, said Thomas Zacharias, …
Read MoreGoogle plans to cut 20 percent of jobs at Motorola unit
Google Inc. will cut about 4,000 jobs at its Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. unit, or 20 percent of the staff at the company it bought for about $12.5 billion, Bloomberg reported. Two-thirds of the reductions …
Read MoreLargest events drawing visitors to the metro area, week of Aug. 20
THE ENTREPRENEURS: Christian Renaud
Christian Renaud may sound overly modest when he describes himself as a “tool in the toolbox.”
Renaud, who launched the technology-based incubator StartupCity Des Moines with business partner Tej Dhawan, seems to have a hand …
Read MoreHealth information network on track for 2013
Iowa health-care providers will have a secure online system for accessing patients’ medical data by early next year, a state health official said today in a release. About 200 health-care providers and information technology professionals …
Read MoreUSDA slashes estimates for corn harvest
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today slashed its forecast for corn production this year by about 17 percent as drought conditions worsened in key growing regions, MarketWatch reported. Farmers are now expected to produce …
Read MoreHome builders encouraged by turnout at annual expo
Turnout for the HomeShowExpo last month at Otter Creek in Ankeny may provide a promising glimpse of interest in the purchase of new houses. More than 12,000 people toured houses, the highest attendance since the …
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