Stock Market

Should Research in Motion (RIMM) Buy PALM?

Research in Motion’s (RIMM) 4th quarter earnings failed to inspire investor confidence. Shares are down 5% since the blackberry maker reported earnings after the market close. Research in Motion shares are now trading below the $70 level.

RIMM’s $4.2 billion dollar sales figure failed to meet analyst expectations of $4.3 billion dollars in sales for the quarter. Earnings per share were $1.27 vs. analyst expectations of $1.28 for the quarter.

Research in Motion (RIMM) is still selling a high volume of blackberry phones but the tech firm is losing pricing power. The decline in selling price is reducing the gross margin. The company’s biggest problem is that they are losing market share to Apple and Google. It appears that RIMM’s customers are becoming bored with their phones. According to Marketwatch, “90% of iPhone and 87% Android users have no plans to change, 39% of BlackBerry users want iPhones and 34% want Android phones.”

How can Research in Motion rejuvenate its product lineup? RIMM should consider buying Palm (PALM). RIMM needs Palm’s new models to replace its traditional conservative models. Plus Palm could help jumpstart Research in Motion’s lagging apps lineup. Palm is already developing applications that rival Apple’s. Palm’s low stock price makes it an intriguing value. Research in Motion could purchase the whole company for under $400 million which is below the enterprise value.

California Gasoline Usage declines for 4th Consecutive Year

Societe Generale Appoints New Asean Director

Societe Generale Private Banking has appointed Benedikt P.A. Maissen as its new managing director and head of Asean region.

Maissen was earlier working with Barclays Wealth Singapore. He has more than 26 years of experience in private banking. Asean region comprises of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand among other countries. Maissen will be based in Singapore.

As of December 2009, Societe Generale had $101.8 billion in assets under management. The bank employs 2800 people in 22 countries.

Daily ETF Roundup: UNG Slides, GDX Rises

Equity markets trended lower in mid-week trading as the major indexes lost ground to close out the first quarter. Although energy shares trended higher after news the President Obama had lifted a ban on offshore drilling, other sectors fell after a surprising drop in private-sector employment levels ahead of the government’s payrolls data later this [...]

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Police: Grifting Granny Bilked Friends For $1M

A 78-year-old Florida grandmother has been arrested by police and accused of scamming friends, including her pastor, out of over $1 million.








Police – Confidence trick – Law – Law Enforcement – United States

iPads for Everyone at Pennsylvania University

Seton Hill University plans to offer iPads to all full-time students.








Seton Hill University – IPad – Apple – Education – Colleges and Universities

Obama Opens Offshore Drilling; Oil ETFs Soar

Earlier today, President Obama announced that he is lifting bans on offshore drilling and oil and gas exploration off the Virginia coast, move likely to renew a heated debate between environmental groups and Big Oil. Obama also announced that he will be expanding lease sales for oil and gas exploration on the Atlantic seaboard. The [...]

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Madonna Cashes In With Apparel Line

Madonna is the latest big star to cash in on her name, and in May is set to launch a collection of sunglasses with Dolce & Gabbanna. Dubbed MDG (for Madonna Dolce Gabbana), it’s the first line of luxury accessories to come from Madonna’s joint venture with Iconix, a massive brand management company that also owns teen brand Candie’s and Jay Z’s Rocawear. Madonna is tapping into a hot trend: celebrity product branding. It’s different from endorsement, in which a star simply agrees to act as a spokesperson for a certain company. Celebrities who launch their own lines often come up with ideas for products themselves, help with the design and own a stake in the venture.








Madonna – Sunglasses – Jay Z – dolce-gabbana – Business

Fed’s Lockhart on Employment