These CEOs made more in 2011 than their companies paid in federal income tax.

The post 7 Companies Paying Their CEOs More Than the Taxman appeared first on InvestorPlace.

When it comes to their cars, the wealthiest Americans are cheapskates.

The post 8 Cheap Cars the Filthy Rich Love to Drive appeared first on InvestorPlace.

These companies were once leaders in their industries but have fallen hopelessly behind their competitors.

The post 9 American Companies That Are Doomed appeared first on InvestorPlace.

These countries have the most generous public pensions. See which 10 made the list.

The post 10 Countries Paying People to Retire appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Poor grades in rollover and rear impact tests make these among the most dangerous cars to drive.

The post 7 Most Dangerous Cars in America appeared first on InvestorPlace.

This list reflects the brutally competitive nature of certain industries and the reason why companies cannot afford to fall behind in efficiency, innovation or financing.

The post 10 Major Brands That Will Disappear in 2013 appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Poor quality and poor fuel efficiency appear to be hurting sales of the cars on this list.

The post Top 10 Cars Americans Will Not Buy appeared first on InvestorPlace.

It may be about time Budweiser relinquished its title as the "King of Beers."

The post America’s Top 10 Favorite Beers appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Forget just the financials, take a look at today's top brands through the eyes of the consumer. These six top the list of favorites.

The post 6 Hottest American Brands appeared first on InvestorPlace.

For the quarter ended September 30, 2010, AT&T’s consolidated revenues totaled $31.6 billion, up $847 million, or +2.8%, versus the year-earlier quarter. Operating income was $5.5 billion, up from $5.4 billion; and AT&T’s operating income margin was stable at 17.3%, compared to 17.5%.

The post AT&T Posts More Dismal Landline Numbers appeared first on InvestorPlace.

McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) stock is set to soar again. The fast food chain announced that it will be raising its dividend again, after another quarter of increased earnings.

The post How Long Will McDonald’s Run Last? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Consumer sales of PCs are expected to be flat over the coming 3 months as iPad sales rise. Microsoft, Intel and Dell feel the pain.

The post In PC Sales, It’s Apple, Then Everyone Else appeared first on InvestorPlace.

It has been a choppy market lately, but while many stocks are having trouble posting sustained gains only a select few face complete delisting. Major stock exchanges like the NYSE, AMEX or NASDAQ don’t kick companies out just for having a bad few weeks, but eventually will pull the plug if certain minimum standards are not met.

The post 10 Stocks Facing Delisting appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Almost every legitimate wireless service customer satisfaction survey that covers the four large wireless carriers -- AT&T (NYSE: T), Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ), Sprint (NYSE: S) and T-Mobile, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT) -- continues to show AT&T at the bottom of the rankings. And new research from ChangeWave shows that AT&T’s numbers are likely to get worse.

The post How Can AT&T Continue to Combat Poor Service? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Retirement investing is at its core a simple strategy - make sure you have enough cash to live comfortably. The strategies of the best large cap stocks and blue chip stock picks are quite similar - make sure you have enough cash to grow, innovate and prosper.

The post Retirement Investing Strategies – The Best Stocks Sit on Hordes of Cash appeared first on InvestorPlace.

For the period ending June 15, short sellers in the stock market made some huge bets against the largest companies listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ according to data from each exchange. Leading the charge were financial stocks like Citigroup (C) and Bank of America (BAC), but also tech mainstays like Microsoft (MSFT) and Cisco (CSCO).

The post Short Selling Report – Stocks the Market is Betting Against Now appeared first on InvestorPlace.

High yield dividend stocks are easier to find then you think. Income investors looking for safe dividend stocks to stash their retirement money in are already familiar with many blue chips that have hefty yields. It's just that when investors stop at the grocery store or pay their phone bill, they aren't thinking about how the big brands they're doing business with are actually good income investments.

The post High Yield Dividend Stocks – 7 Famous Blue Chips With +5% Yields appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK) reported higher-than-expected EPS and revenues for the first quarter of 2010. On the other coast, Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) had a clear miss on EPS although revenues were higher than expected.

The post Utility Stock Earnings Mixed For Duke, Sempra (DUK, SRE, RBS) appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Despite a positive earnings report, some profit taking and new concerns about the company going forward have caused Ford shares to fall today.

The post Ford Rolls But Outlook Curbs Enthusiasm appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) reported earnings for the first quarter today. Specifically, Sprint earnings showed an EPS loss of -$0.29, but adjusted for a tax charge, the EPS loss totaled -$0.17, right on the average estimate. S earnings also showed revenues of $8.09 billion that were slightly ahead of the average estimate of $8.05, but 2% below first quarter 2009 revenue of $8.21 billion. This is not a good earnings report for Sprint.

The post Sprint Nextel Earnings Show Steady Loss of Customers (S, T, VZ, DT, AAPL) appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) reported a first quarter EPS loss of -$0.20, compared with an EPS profit in the same period a year ago of $0.59. Revenues for the 2010 first quarter were $19.6 billion, up 47% from a year ago. Unfortunately for Valero, cost of sales were also up -- almost 62%. BP plc (BP), which also reported earnings today, saw refining and marketing earnings fall nearly 34%, but BP fell back on a huge increase in crude revenues to post a fine profit. Later this week major integrated companies Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA), Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), Conoco Phillips Corp. (COP), and Chevron Corp. (CVX) will report earnings, as will refiners Hess Corp. (HES), Sunoco, Inc. (SUN), and Tesoro Corp. (TSO).

The post Refiners’ Struggles Likely to Get Worse (VLO, BP, RDSA, XOM, COP, CVX, HES, SUN, TSO) appeared first on InvestorPlace.

In late February, CKE Restaurants, Inc. (CKR) agreed to be acquired by Thomas H. Lee Partners, a private equity firm, for about $928 million, including $309 million of net debt. That means changes for industry rivals McDonald's (MCD) and Burger King (BKC).

The post Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s Bought By Apollo (CKR, MCD, BKC) appeared first on InvestorPlace.

UAL Corp. (UAUA), parent of United Airlines, and US Airways Group (LCC) both announced losses that were not as bad as last quarter and not as bad as expected.

The post United, US Air Earnings Better Than Expected, But Losses Continue (UAUA, LCC, CAL, LUV) appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Health benefits provider Humana Inc. (HUM) posted quarterly diluted EPS of $1.52 this morning, higher than analysts' estimates of $1.14 and above the company's own forecast of $1.10-$1.20. Humana also raised its full-year guidance, following the footsteps of United Health Group Inc. (UHI), which raised its guidance last week following a strong quarterly report. Cigna Corp. (CI) is scheduled to report quarterly earnings next week and is expected to post good numbers. Aetna Inc. (AET), which is reporting later this week, is not expected to post similar gains.

The post Humana HUM Earnings Up, Shares Fall (UHI, CI, AET) appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Nearly five years ago Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (PAA) bought two natural gas storage facilities from Sempra Energy (SRE). Bluewater Gas Storage in Michigan has a working gas capacity of 20 billion cubic feet, and Pine Prairie Energy Center in Louisiana also has 20 billion cubic feet of capacity. Today, Plains has commenced an IPO of the two businesses as another master limited partnership named PAA Natural Gas Storage, L.P. (PNG) that will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'PNG'.

The post Plains All American PAA Spins Off Natural Gas Storage in IPO appeared first on InvestorPlace.

The oil field services sector got a bump of about 2.5% earlier this week when Halliburton (HAL) reported results and indicated that the outlook for the rest of 2010 was looking better. So far today, the sector is up nearly 7% on a similar earnings outlook from Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB), even though the company's revenues dropped in the quarter. Even Weatherford International Ltd. (WFT) is getting a nice boost on Schlumberger's coattails.

The post Palm Stock Up on Hopes of Elusive Buyout, Merger appeared first on InvestorPlace.

The oil field services sector got a bump of about 2.5% earlier this week when Halliburton (HAL) reported results and indicated that the outlook for the rest of 2010 was looking better. So far today, the sector is up nearly 7% on a similar earnings outlook from Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB), even though the company's revenues dropped in the quarter. Even Weatherford International Ltd. (WFT) is getting a nice boost on Schlumberger's coattails.

The post Schlumberger SLB Earnings Outlook Boosts Oil Field Services Sector – HAL, WFT, SII appeared first on InvestorPlace.

The recent jump in auto sales are attributable to manufacturers' incentives and a significant increase in Chinese buying. It's not totally unexpected then that parts suppliers should be seeing some black ink from the sales jump. Those companies include Johnson Controls, Inc. (JCI) which just reported earnings.

The post Johnson Controls JCI Earnings Up on Auto Sales Boost – F, WMT, XIDE appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Retail sales for the month of March rose 1.6%, but there is some concern that the rise in consumer spending is only temporary.

The post March Retail Sales Jump Might Not Be Sustainable (JCP, HOTT, TGT, WMT, JWN) appeared first on InvestorPlace.

JPMorgan Chase's (JPM) better-than-expected earnings showed just how important trading and investment banks are to the big bank's bottom line, and what government restrictions to proprietary trading might do to earnings.

The post JPM Report Highlights What Regulations Could Mean for Bank Earnings appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Due to surprisingly strong U.S. demand for the iPad, Apple (AAPL) was forced to postpone the device's international launch.

The post Apple (AAPL) Needs More iPads appeared first on InvestorPlace.

How the potential financial reform legislation will shake out is anybody's guess, but Citi isn't waiting around to see, and is selling off its hedge fund assets.

The post Citi Sheds Hedge Funds in Anticipation of ‘Volker Rule’ appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Sears (SHLD) did what it needed to in its effort to turn itself around and regain some credibility on Wall Street after a long string of disappointing numbers.

The post Sears (SHLD) – Earns Well, Improving Business Better appeared first on InvestorPlace.

If customer satisfaction is any indication, the Android OS could quickly become one of the most widely distributed operating systems in the industry.

The post ChangeWave Customer Satisfaction Survey Shows Surge in Android OS Numbers appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Unlike Apple (AAPL), RIM (RIMM) and Palm (PALM) present investors with special risks because they are essentially single product line companies.

The post Palm and RIM Face a Surging Apple appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Apple's tablet faces tough competition from competitors Dell, HP and Amazon, and the Apple brand may have to carry it the first few steps of the way as it gets its initial customers.

The post Apple Tablet Meets Dell and HP on the Battlefield (AAPL, DELL, HPQ) appeared first on InvestorPlace.

If Apple (AAPL) is not able to recover from several recent mistakes and does not report strong earnings for the holiday quarter, shares of AAPL stock could sell off to its early September support level of $165 per share.

The post Investors Not Biting on Apple (AAPL) appeared first on InvestorPlace.

More than ever before, commodity prices, including metals, could be indicators of inflation sentiment.

The post What’s Going on in the Metals Markets? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Costco stock was flat as the market opened despite reporting positive November results early this morning.

The post The Market Ignores Costco Results appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Shares of FedEx stock (FDX) were up as the market opened after raising its outlook for second-quarter earnings due to increased shipping volume both internationally and in the U.S. as well as improved in cost controls.

The post FedEx (FDX) Raises Forecast, Shares Rally appeared first on InvestorPlace.

The latest U.S. Dept. of Commerce data on housing starts was released today and the news wasn't good. Here is what's ahead for the housing market.

The post Housing Starts Cooling Off or Freezing? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

FedEx stock (FDX) got a nice boost over the weekend from an article in Barron's that suggested the company's presence overseas could boost shares.

The post Fed Ex Stock (FDX) Gets Boost from Good Press; Can It Last? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

The steep drop in crude oil prices has affected Exxon (XOM) and every major oil company. Here's what's ahead for crude oil.

The post Where Do Crude Oil Prices Go From Here? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) filed its 13-F last night, indicating the company's holdings. With boosted stakes in Wal-Mart (WMT) and Burlington Northern (BNI), the filing shows the new Buffett is very different from the old Buffett.

The post Is Buffett Playing It Safe with WMT? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Lowe's (LOW) reported earnings today that showed a 30% drop in profits and a 3% drop in revenues. Yet Lowe's stock did not sell off. What does this say about Lowe's and rival Home Depot (HD) as barometers for housing stocks and the housing market?

The post Lowe’s, Home Depot Housing Barometers? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Exxon Mobil (XOM) CEO Rex Tillerson this morning said that the weak U.S. dollar is adding $20-$25 to the price of a barrel of oil. The XOM chief's comments show just how weak the dollar is.

The post Exxon (XOM) CEO Discusses Impact of Weak Dollar appeared first on InvestorPlace.

DryShips (DRYS) is closing in on $7 a share. Here are the forces lifting DRYS higher.

The post DryShips (DRYS) to Rise with Market Tide appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Dow Chemical (DOW) reached a 52-week high today after agreeing to sell its powder coating business to Dutch-based Akzo Nobel NA. Here's what the sale means for DOW stock.

The post Dow Chemical (DOW) Sets New High appeared first on InvestorPlace.

Blockbuster (BBI) reports earnings tomorrow, and the numbers will not be good. How did Netflix (NFLX), Redbox (CSTR), Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN) knock Blockbuster off its throne as king of the movie delivery business?

The post What’s Next for Blockbuster (BBI)? appeared first on InvestorPlace.

With spot gold prices touching $1,100 an ounce, gold stocks like Yamna Gold (AUY), Barrick Gold (ABX) and Newmont Mining (NEM) are surging.

The post Gold Mining Stocks Yamna Gold (AUY), Barrick Gold (ABX), Newmont Mining (NEM) Surge appeared first on InvestorPlace.