Archive for January 2014
Morning business headlines: 1-7-14
21 months of gains in house prices
MarketWatch: U.S. home prices edged up in November, CoreLogic Inc. said today. Prices rose 0.1 percent on a monthly basis to take year-on-year gains to 11.8 percent, the 21st …
Read MoreKeough named chairman, CEO of Holmes Murphy
Holmes Murphy & Associates Inc. announced that Daniel Keough has been named chairman and CEO, succeeding Jim Swift as the company’s chairman. Keough served as founder and CEO of Innovative Captive Strategies, a division of …
Read MoreGuideOne construction company changes name, keeps its mission
The reconstruction arm of West Des Moines-based GuideOne Mutual Insurance Co. has changed its name to GC3 LLC. The construction company was launched in 1995 to provide construction services to churches, schools, senior living centers, …
Read MoreGreater Des Moines named a place to watch for sports events
SportsEvents Magazine has named Greater Des Moines as a “Top Place to Watch” in 2014, the Convention and Visitors Bureau announced yesterday. The distinction recognizes the best sports-focused destinations and venues as voted on by …
Read MoreBuffett-backed Chinese car maker to make U.S. sales debut
BYD Co., a Chinese automaker backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., said its cars are poised to begin hitting U.S. showrooms by next year, Bloomberg reported. Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., a Berkshire Hathaway unit, …
Read MoreDear Malcolm Berko: Can I retire on a Wal-Mart 401(k)?
Dear Mr. Berko:
I am 36 and make about $45,000 a year. For 14 years, I have contributed 6 percent of my salary to Wal-Mart’s 401(k) plan, and Wal-Mart matches that amount. My 401(k) statement …
Read MoreA predominance of negative earnings forecasts
Corporate America is lowering expectations, according to MarketWatch.
According to John Butters, senior earnings analyst at FactSet, 94 out of the 107 companies on the Standard & Poor’s 500 index that have issued an earnings …
Read MoreMidwest mergers and acquisitions regain strength
The number of Midwest companies that participated in a merger or acquisition over the past six months rebounded in the third quarter of 2013, according to the Bridgepoint Midwest M&A Index Report. After decreasing in the previous …
Read MoreSouthwest Iowa coalition joins regional economic development group
A collaboration announced by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman on Friday will help create a bigger economic development pie for both states, officials said. Advance Southwest Iowa, a recently established public-private …
Read MoreBank of the West to make interest-only mortgages despite new lending rule
Bank of the West said today it will continue to offer interest-only mortgages to borrowers even though such loans are excluded from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s qualified mortgage rule that goes into effect Friday, American …
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