First Bytes: Facebook, MySpace, Google, Yahoo, IBM, AMD, Sony Ericsson

-- Facebook C.E.O. Mark Zuckerberg says he's getting into the online music business to take on MySpace Music. [Yahoo]--IBM, bringing in big business even in a downturn, shows a 20 percent profit increase this quarter thanks to strong global...

Oct 17 2008

Airline Economics, United Earnings Edition

It's not easy, being an airline. Thanks to high fuel costs, United lost $252 million in the third quarter, on an operating basis. On the other hand, United was hedged. And as a result of those hedges, United ended...

Oct 21 2008

Morning Hemlines: NexCen, Penney, A&F, Swatch, Boucheron, Matthew Williamson

Robert D'Loren has resigned as C.E.O. of NexCen Brands. (WWD) Men are still spending--or women are spending on them. NPD Group says while sales of women's wear fell 3.8 percent in the first half of 2008, men's clothing sales rose...

Aug 18 2008

Late Breaks: Time Inc., Tribune, more

-Buyouts were offered today to employees of Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and other Time Inc. magazines. The company's trying to eliminate 600 jobs. [AllThingsD] -Tribune Co. reported a loss of $124 million for the third quarter; operating cash flow for the publishing division was down 91 percent from last year. ...

Nov 10 2008

Earnings? What Earnings?

On the eve of its annual shareholders meeting, Berkshire Hathaway reported a 64 percent decrease in first-quarter income--but the news did little to dampen the high spirits of thousands of shareholders who have descended on Omaha, Nebraska for the weekend's...

May 03 2008

J.C. Penney's Viral Ad is Most Definitely Not in the Doghouse

If men are from Mars and women are from Venus, J.C. Penney must be pretty glad it picked the right planet to mock for its viral ad campaign this holiday season. The discount retailer released an ad called The Doghouse...

Dec 15 2008

The Pain to Come

It's probably the last thing anyone wants to hear so soon after news of the 533,000 lost jobs suffered last month -- but if history is a guide, it's only going to get worse from here. That's because the majority...

Dec 05 2008

Yahoo Earnings Out: Certainly Not Enough to Keep the Wolf Away

So, you KNOW the earnings aren't great when the financial press release buries the number. The top of Yahoo's just-out earnings announcement highlights a 9% revenue gain (nothing for a Web company to write home about) and cash flow was...

Apr 22 2008

2008's Best and Worst Ads, Overlooked Division

The Wall Street Journal weighs in today with its annual review of the year's best and worst ads. Some of its picks are obvious (eg. Burger King's awesome "Whopper Freakout" campaign) and some more controversial (will.i.am's pro-Obama "Yes We Can" video, which excited a lot of people but struck me ...

Dec 23 2008

Take Two Locks Up Rockstar Talent

Ars Technica reports: Rockstar may be a controversial developer, but it sure can bring the rain: Grand Theft Auto IV enjoyed $500 million in first-week sales across the PS3 and Xbox 360. Take-Two simply can't afford to lose that level...

Dec 18 2008

Morning Hemlines: Hilfiger, Banana Republic, Garrard, Coach

Tommy Hilfiger saw sales rise by 30.5 percent in the first half of the year, said the company's new owners, Apax Partners. (WWD) Coach's earnings were down for the first quarter, because of the weak retail environment. (WWD) Simon Kneen,...

Oct 21 2008

First Bytes: Yahoo Layoffs, Brash.com, Motorola, Q3 Earnings In Tech

--More layoffs and other cost-cutting moves expected this week at Yahoo.[Yahoo]--Glam Media launches an aggregate site for men, Brash.com.[PaidContent]--Latest forecast for old media: not dead yet, but only has five years left. [PaidContent]--Motorola recruiting 350 people and investing $50 million...

Oct 20 2008

Online Ad Revenue Up

Rafael Cohen reports: Think this can move the Dow? According to a report out today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers, online advertising continues to expand, though it is growing at a slower rate than in previous quarters.Online ad...

Nov 20 2008

Morning Hemlines: Claiborne, SJP, Fortunoff, Boutiques

Liz Claiborne posted a third quarter loss of $68.7 million, down from a gain of $33.1 million for the same period last year. (WWD) Independent fashion boutiques are getting especially squeezed by the credit crunch. (WSJ) Sex and the City...

Nov 11 2008

Trading on Soft News

Back in March, I wrote about a study which showed trading on the "soft" information -- as opposed to the hard numbers -- contained in news stories on company earnings could be a profitable strategy. There are two reasons for...

Nov 07 2008

Merrill: Losing the Expectations Game

Dennis Berman looks today at Merrill Lynch's earnings per share. With earnings down and the number of shares up, he concludes, reasonably enough, that, in the words of Sanford Bernstein's Brad Hintz, "it's extremely difficult to get to the...

Aug 05 2008

Morning Hemlines: Obama, Avon, Posh Spice, Brenninkmeijer, India

Barack Obama promises to support major textile industry policy positions if he makes it to the White House. (WWD) Avon's third-quarter net income was up 60 percent, thanks to strong beauty sales. Adjusted earnings still missed analyst targets. (AP on...

Oct 30 2008

Economic Slowdown Taking Toll on Tech

Ars Technica reports: PC makers around the world are feeling the sting of a tougher economy and lowered spending on IT, and Dell is no exception. The Round Rock, Texas-based company issued a statement Tuesday saying that it is "seeing...

Sep 17 2008

Bad Day at Blackstone

Is it time to conclude that Blackstone's I.P.O. was the most disappointing debut since New Coke? As most market watchers already know, Blackstone has been on a slow and steady downward spiral since going public in June. Shares were down...

Nov 12 2007

'Times' Projects More Staff Reduction in Q4

Well hello! The New York Times reported its third-quarter results today, and the press release contains this little sleeper bomb: The company expects to realize $14 million to $16 million in staff reduction costs in the fourth quarter. (Gawker noticed...

Oct 23 2007

Morning Hemlines: Ann Taylor, Barney's, Warcano, True Religion, Net-a-porter, Obama

Ann Taylor and Talbots are making more cuts. (WSJ) Barney's will likely open its new meatpacking district location at 402 W. 13th Street. (Fashion Week Daily) Warnaco had higher third-quarter results, but dampened its forecast for the year, saying Q4...

Nov 07 2008

Last Bytes: Time Warner, SprintNextel, Yahoo, iPhone, Facebook

-- Thanks in part to the weight of AOL, Time Warner's dying online unit, company earnings fell 26 percent in the second quarter. [Portfolio.com]-- SprintNextel reported a second quarter loss, but said it had lost fewer customers than in the...

Aug 06 2008

Hasbro Passes Go, Collects $32.9 million

There may still be hope for Generation X-Box. Perhaps every kid isn't trading in his or her baseball bat or baby doll for cell phones and PSPs after all. If earnings on Wall Street are an indicator, good old-fashioned...

Apr 23 2007

Yang Memo: Layoffs the "Right Decision"

Jerry Yang's latest missive went out today to all "Yahoos" as Yahoo announced its third-quarter earnings. Yang informed the staff that a 10 percent workforce cut was imminent. Here is the full text of his memo. From: Jerry Yang To:...

Oct 21 2008

Morning Hemlines: Jones, Wal-Mart, Burberry, Retail Stocks, Tom Ford

Jones Apparel Group's net income fell 93,2 percent for the quarter ended October 4, still beating analyst expectations by a penny. (WWD) "This is Wal-Mart's time," said president and C.E.O. H. Lee Scott said at the comany's annual analyst and...

Oct 29 2008

More Evaporating Billions at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley's earnings this morning are truly dreadful. When your stock is trading around $15 a share, a quarterly loss of $2.24 per share is a big deal. But in fact it's worse than that: the bank recorded "net...

Dec 17 2008

Morning Hemlines: Webzines, Ralph Lauren, Moncler, Puma and Cartier v. Donna Karan

Advertising dollars head online as fashion webzines mimic mainstream fashion publications and find an audience. Can enough of these sites gain traction with consumers to ruin business for their print competitors? (NY Times) First quarter results indicate that Polo Ralph...

Aug 07 2008

Morning Hemlines: Jones, Tod's, LVMH, Guyliner, Boscov's

Shares of Jones Apparel rose 11.7 percent after the firm posted second-quarter results. Next up for Jones: rolling out the brand's own retail. (WWD) Tod's SpA, the Italian parent company of Tod's, Hogan and Roget Vivier leather goods, reported a...

Jul 31 2008

Merill Lynch: Proving Inside Is Out

This morning's WSJ -- proves that the "internal" and "external" walls of the traditional corporate fortresses are all but gone.

Oct 08 2007

This is Not Good

The WSJ reports that talks to save the automakers have broken down in the Senate, and that there will be no bailout. Once again, Congressional Republicans have killed an intiative backed by both the White House and the Democrats...

Dec 11 2008