Latest Investment News

Japan’s Latest Woes Include Layoffs at NEC New York Times - United States ... quickly sifted through to the real economy — after the collapse in September of the investment firm Lehman Brothers led many banks to curtail lending. ... See all stories on this topic

Senate Wants to Stimulate Verizon New York Times - United States The latest Senate bill increases those grants to $9 billion. Most significantly, the bill before the Senate also includes tax credits for investment in ... See all stories on this topic

Invesco fourth-quarter profit down 82% MarketWatch - USA Under Flanagan's stewardship, Invesco has put in place reforms to improve investment returns and streamline operations. The results of the reforms have led ... See all stories on this topic

The Market's Latest Victim: 'Buy-And-Hold' Strategy NBC Chicago - Chicago,IL,USA ... that comes at great peril over the next year or two," says Lee Schultheis, founder and chiefinvestment strategist at AIP Funds in Harrison, ... See all stories on this topic

Gold rises 2 pct on strong investment flow guardian.co.uk - UK ... allocating more of their portfolio money into gold instead of other asset classes such as stocks, and the move fueled the yellow metal's latest rally. ... See all stories on this topic

TARP Creates Staffing Headaches for Treasury Washington Post - United States The Government Accountability Office has released its latest progress report on the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the Treasury Department's new Office ... See all stories on this topic

CME Group sees hurricane contracts surge as season approaches Chicago Tribune - United States For example, Citadel Investment Group in Chicago is closing its division after its two largest hedge funds suffered losses of more than 50 percent last year ... See all stories on this topic

Latest Investment News

Assets drop in money funds Seattle Times - United States Total money-market mutual-fund assets fell by $28.95 billion to $3.893 trillion in the latest week, theInvestment Company Institute said. ... See all stories on this topic

Just how much money is out there? Stockhouse - Vancouver,BC,Canada According to the latest data from the Investment Company Institute, cash invested in Money Market mutual funds recently overtook that invested in stock ... See all stories on this topic

Zsa Zsa latest victim in Madoff scandal Digital Spy - UK The 91-year-old is one of a growing list of Hollywood figures reported to have suffered loses because of an investment connected to the money manager, ... See all stories on this topic

Soderbergh's "Girlfriend" an emotionally cool puzzle Reuters - USA So consider this a review in progress, a sneak peek at the latest film experiment by one of cinema's more fertile imaginations. Indeed, his films now seem ... See all stories on this topic

Oil Cartel Keeps Cuts on Track New York Times - United States ConocoPhillips, for example, last week trimmed its investment program by 18 percent, or $2.8 billion, for this year. Suncor Energy, which produces oil from ... See all stories on this topic

Fed weighs riskier moves to lower rates The News Journal - Wilmington,DE,USA Yields on investment-grade corporate bonds, in contrast, stood at 8.24 percent on Jan. 22, the latestdate for which information is available, compared with ... See all stories on this topic

January 26, 2009: Income Funds - The Audacity of Hope istockAnalyst.com (press release) - Salem,OR,USA ETF investing - born of common sense, anchored in the latest research and applied across the broad market. Using a patent-pending investment methodology, ... See all stories on this topic

Downturn Batters Chemical Firms Wall Street Journal - USA "It is more than a perfect storm," said Jonathan Tyler, director of the chemical-industry practice atinvestment bank Houlihan Lokey. ... See all stories on this topic

Warren's Unhappy New Year Barron's - USA 30, likely fell to $13 billion after the Goldman (GS) and GE (GE) deals, as well as a $6.5 billioninvestment in junk bonds and preferred stock of Wrigley, ... See all stories on this topic

Apollo Raises $14.8 Billion For Fund VII FINalternatives - New York,NY,USA Leon Black, the founder of the New York alternative investments giant, said Friday that the firm raised $14.8 billion for its latest private equity fund. ... See all stories on this topic

Tripwolf confirms its latest round of funding m-Travel.com - USA With its investment in tripwolf, the MairDumont group aims to play a leading role in the digital market as well. "Travel and mobility online are part of our ... See all stories on this topic

BNP Paribas Sees Quarterly Loss, Seeks Government Capital Wall Street Journal - USA In a surprise statement, Paris-based BNP Paribas said it posted heavy fourth-quarter losses, mainly due to its corporate and investment bank business. ... See all stories on this topic

BNP Paribas taps government; ING chief quits after heavy loss MarketWatch - USA The group said its corporate and investment banking arm was hit by pretax losses of 2 billion euros in the final quarter and it also took a 400 million euro ... See all stories on this topic

BofA's Ken Lewis in the hot seat CNN - USA What worries some analysts, including Soifer, is the fate of Bank of America's investment banking business. With Thain's departure, Bank of America may have ... See all stories on this topic

Barclays Surges After Saying It Won’t Need Capital From UK Bloomberg - USA Barclays’s investment bank and the Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. assets acquired last year are driving profit and “record revenue,” cushioning the ... See all stories on this topic

Bush investment-advice rule may be delayed, changed SmartBrief - Washington,DC,USA It provides the latest news to help you stay on top of the industry and better advise your clients. Learn more. See all stories on this topic

Latest Investment News

Obama touts aid plan's impact on average Americans The Associated Press "We let families, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and the self-employed keep more of what they earn to encourage investment and create millions of new ... See all stories on this topic

Obama Plans Fast Action to Tighten Financial Rules New York Times - United States Officials said they want rules to eliminate conflicts of interest at credit rating agencies that gave topinvestment grades to the exotic and ultimately ... See all stories on this topic

Despite scandals, munis are strong long-term pick Palm Beach Daily News - Palm Beach,FL,USA As with any higher-yielding investment, though, it's important not to put all your eggs in one basket. If you own a municipal bond and its issuer is ... See all stories on this topic

CharlotteObserver.com Bissell's latest reads about Buffett, Turner CharlotteObserver.com - Charlotte,NC,USA Recent personal choices were Alice Schroeder's “The Snowball,” about investmentstar Warren Buffett, and media mogul Ted Turner's “Call Me Ted. ... See all stories on this topic

Richmond Times Dispatch The final moments of Circuit City Richmond Times Dispatch - Richmond,VA,USA By Thanksgiving, investment bank Rothschild Inc. was circulating a 50-page PowerPoint-like presentation to potential buyers -- what finance executives call ... See all stories on this topic

OneSeason: 'Like baseball cards without the piece of cardboard' San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA "They're giving people this opportunity to translate an emotional investment into a financialinvestment. It sort of splits the difference between investing ... See all stories on this topic

Alabama’s 12 most influential people Tuscaloosa News (subscription) - Tuscaloosa,AL,USA Bronner, 64, determines investment policies for the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which controls the financial future of thousands of state and local ... See all stories on this topic

Reps paid to stay as BofA regroups InvestmentNews - New York,NY,USA ... as president of global banking, and global wealth and investment management. Mr. Thain is thelatest senior Merrill executive to leave Bank of America. ... See all stories on this topic

Ultrawealthy use business acumen to buy into indie B-Ds InvestmentNews - New York,NY,USA By Bruce Kelly That's the thinking of investor John Sykes, who put his personal financial adviser, Gordon Loetz, in charge of his latest investment, ... See all stories on this topic

Obama proposes way out of ‘unprecedented crisis’ RT - Moscow,Russia US President Obama has unveiled a recovery and re-investment pledge in his first weekly address since taking the office on Tuesday. It was the latest appeal ... See all stories on this topic

Latest Investment News

Reviewing The Latest Quarterly Gold Report NuWire Investor - Bellevue,WA,USA The World Gold Council released their quarterly Gold Investment Digest yesterday and it contained a number of very good charts including the one below that ... See all stories on this topic

Wall Street off earlier lows on tech, financials The Associated Press Jim Herrell, chief investment office at Partnervest Financial Group, said the market also drew some support from Aflac Inc.'s affirmation of its financial ... See all stories on this topic

Fireman: Adviser looted $25m Boston Globe - United States By Beth Healy Paul Fireman, the former chief executive of Reebok International Ltd., says his longtimeinvestment manager looted more than $25 million from ... See all stories on this topic

Cyprus investment companies lost EUR 328 mln in ’08 Financial Mirror - Cyprus Athena Cyprus Pcl (ATH) was the second largest investment company in Cyprus with total assets of EUR 48 mln. Based on the stock’s latest closing price, ... See all stories on this topic

In Address, Obama Seeks Broad Appeal for Stimulus New York Times - United States The latest on President Obama, the new administration and other news from Washington and around the nation. Join the discussion. In his weekly video address ... See all stories on this topic

Latest Investment News

Financial Stocks Higher, Paring Some Of Tuesday's Declines Wall Street Journal - USA Bank of New York's results - along with the PNC announcement, Northern Trust's report earlier Wednesday that its net income doubled in the latest quarter ... See all stories on this topic

Chrysler-Fiat Deal Latest Twist in Auto Bailout Story findingDulcinea - New York,New York,USA "The partnership would also provide a return on investment for the American taxpayer by securing the long-term viability of Chrysler brands in the ... See all stories on this topic

Wall Street Banks Face Slimmer,Tougher Fixed Income Business Wall Street Journal - USA While most big banks will continue to feel the pain and some may drop out of the business, some smaller investment banks see an opportunity and are taking ... See all stories on this topic

Stock Market Update Briefing.com - Burlingame,CA,USA Investment services outfit BlackRock (BLK) posted earnings of $0.68 per share, which was $0.31 short of the consensus estimate of $$0.99 per share. ... See all stories on this topic

Microsoft trades TV dreams for priorities with Comcast share dump Register - London,England,UK Comment Microsoft decision to kill its flagship $1bn investment in US cable-TV giant Comcast is a sign of strategic prioritization and financial necessity. ... See all stories on this topic

US Stocks Up; Financials Rally; IBM Buoys Tech Mood MarketWatch - USA "I don't see the tangible value in these financial institutions," said David Klaskin, chief investmentofficer for Oak Ridge Investments in Chicago. ... See all stories on this topic

CNET News Does the Xbox 360's 'lack of longevity' matter? CNET News - San Francisco,CA,USA Kaz Hirai, Sony Computer Entertainment America President and CEO, told Official PlayStation Magazine in its latest issue that the Xbox 360 "lacks longevity. ... See all stories on this topic

Nationalization Fears Grow as UK Banks Sink Wall Street Journal - USA A central piece of the government's latest package is a plan to provide insurance that would limit bank's losses on loans and investments that go bad. ... See all stories on this topic

Can Obama Strike Balance Between Safety and Ideals? FOXNews - USA Allan Lichtman, political history professor at American University, said such symbolic gestures as thelatest executive orders will slow in a matter of ... See all stories on this topic

Latest Investment News

MGIC posts smaller 4Q loss, sees no profit in 2009 Forbes - NY,USA AP , 01.20.09, 10:47 AM EST MGIC Investment Corp. posted a narrower fourth-quarter loss, but the mortgage insurer's loss was wider than Wall Street had ... See all stories on this topic

Atlas part of latest funding for Zoopla.co.uk Mass High Tech - MA, USA The early-stage investment firm focuses on technology companies in the US and Europe. Founded in 1980, Atlas Venture, which manages more than $2.5 billion ... See all stories on this topic

Stock Preacher Issues Technical Trade Alerts on: KEY, NOK, MET, TM ... FOXBusiness - USA For more information on Stock Preacher, please visit: http://StockPreacher.com CRD# 1603068 StockPreacher.com is not a registered investment advisor and ... See all stories on this topic

State Street Shares Fall on 2009 Outlook New York Times - United States ... became the latest financial institution to come under pressure after reporting substantial losses on bonds and other investments on Tuesday. ... See all stories on this topic

Financial News: Ex-Merrill Structuring Chief Sets Up Invest Co Wall Street Journal - USA ... established a new investment firm, becoming the latest of a clutch of high-profile credit bankers to have resurfaced on the buyside in the past year. ... See all stories on this topic

SmarTrend(R) MidDay Market Recap -- January 20, 2009 FOXBusiness - USA Investment is what companies spend on the real assets they own, plus the value of the inventory that we haven't gobbled up through consumption. ... See all stories on this topic

Mexican Billionaire Slim Sees Future For Struggling NYT Wall Street Journal - USA When Slim disclosed a 6.4% stake in the New York Times in September, his spokesman Arturo Elias Ayub said the investment was purely financial, ... See all stories on this topic

Bank of New York quarterly net income falls 88% MarketWatch - USA Net income applicable to common shareholders, which excludes dividends paid on preferred securities, was $28 million, or 2 cents a share, in the latest ... See all stories on this topic

Saudi billionaire Alwaleed rejigs investments-report Reuters - USA Alwaleed was the world's 19th richest person with a $21 billion fortune according to Forbes' latestsurvey. He originally paid $2.75 per Citigroup share, ... See all stories on this topic

Sell-Off Is Sobering Welcome From Wall Street Washington Post - United States The Bush administration pumped almost $300 billion into US banks, but the scale of investment is dwarfed by the still-emerging problem. ... See all stories on this topic

While Foreign Investment Decreases Worldwide Brazil Grows Its ... Brazzil Magazine - Los Angeles,USA According to the latest Sobeet Bulletin, published last December, the share of wealthy countries as targets for direct investment went from 81.1% of the ... See all stories on this topic

Bonuses scrapped for bank chiefs; SocGen to break even in final ... MarketWatch - USA The investment banking arm will also post a net income "close to breakeven" for the quarter as hedging transactions on the credit portfolio helped balance ... See all stories on this topic

New York Times Wondering if a New School in Brooklyn Is Worth Blocking the View New York Times - United States By CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY The latest development dispute in Dumbo involves a proposal that has, for many residents, tinges of a Faustian bargain. ... See all stories on this topic

Wall Street points to moderately higher opening The Associated Press Rob Lutts, president and chief investment officer, of Cabot Money Management said investors will be looking closely at how the problems in the financial ... See all stories on this topic

3 Tips to Help Increase Return on Investment

In today’s tight economy, small businesses need to reassess their marketing strategies for 2009, says marketing expert Scott Severson, president of Minnesota-based marketing services company ARAnet.”Particularly in a tough climate like this one, the most effective companies are the ones that are taking a hard look at their campaigns and measuring exactly what their marketing dollars are delivering,” Severson says. It’s more critical than ever to utilize cost-effective tactics that deliver measurable results, says Severson, whose company manages marketing programs for clients across the country.

“Small businesses don’t need a big budget to make a significant impact,” Severson says, and offers these tips to squeeze the greatest return on investment out of a marketing campaign:

1. Save on services. If you’re working with a limited budget, consider tackling marketing projects where you can get others to do the writing for you cost-effectively. For example, some article-distribution services will not only distribute “brand storytelling” releases about your brand or products to thousands of newspapers and websites, but write them, as well, according to Severson.

2. Seek out value. Look into using tactics that provide added value to deliver more bang for the marketing buck.

3. Measure your marketing program. Set clear and measurable goals at the outset, then use the data generated by your campaign to assess which tactics are working — and which aren’t. “Ask yourself the tough questions,” Severson says. “Are your tactics meeting your success metrics? Are you achieving your allowable cost goals? Learn from each effort, and use the data you gather to improve your marketing.”