- MarketWatch•16 hours ago
You can return a dead Christmas tree — and 4 other ways to hack your holiday gift returns
Holiday return policies have just reached a new audacious level. A woman at a Costco COST, +2.14% in California got the ultimate refund this week when she tried to return a Christmas tree weeks after the holiday season, “because it is dead,” a witness said on Facebook FB, -0.04% — and it worked. The customer at the wholesale store in a Los Angeles suburb said they were shocked to see somebody hauling a dead tree into the store and asking for her money back. After negotiating with the sales person, she reportedly successfully got a refund. Fresh-cut trees were being sold at Costco for around $35 this season. A woman at a Costco got the ultimate refund this week when she tried to return a Christmas
Yahoo Finance•16 hours agoTrump is changing your paycheck. Here's how.
The IRS has issued the first set of guidelines determining how every American’s paycheck will change following the tax-cut bill President Trump signed in late December. The guidelines go to employers and payroll processors, which will then adjust the amount of tax withheld from workers’ paychecks. Yahoo Finance ran the numbers and found a net drop in tax withheld in each of 11 income categories we examined.
Business Insider•22 hours agoAn infamous mystery trader refuses to give up on a bet that the stock market will go nuts
The wager is on a large increase in the CBOE Volatility Index, which serves as the stock market's fear gauge, and has been suppressed for most of the past year. Just six weeks after rolling over a massive wager that the CBOE Volatility Index, or VIX, would surge from its subdued levels by January, the volatility vigilante has essentially extended that bet into February. Known to some as the "VIX Elephant," the mystery investor has stubbornly clung to this trade since initiating it on July 21 of last year.
- Business Insider•21 hours ago
Gambling companies are cashing in on one of the hottest trends sweeping crypto
Investing in an initial coin offering (ICO) is a bit of a gamble in and of itself, so it's fitting that more gambling and gaming companies have raised money via the fundraising method than any other category. A wide-ranging report by Credit Suisse, the Switzerland-based bank found, found a "high number of gaming and gambling companies" have used the mechanism to raise money. According to the Credit Suisse report, gambling companies such as casinos have a lot to gain from blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
Yahoo Finance•3 hours agoJPMorgan CEO Dimon: Tax reform is a 'significant positive outcome for the country'
JPMorgan Chase (JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon plans to invest further as a result of corporate tax reform. “The enactment of tax reform in the fourth quarter is a significant positive outcome for the country,” Dimon said in a statement for the bank’s fourth-quarter earnings release. During the fourth quarter, JPMorgan said it had incurred a one-time write-down of $2.4 billion, or 69 cents per share, because of tax reform.
- Fox Business Videos•20 hours ago
Wal-Mart, Boeing: Companies dole out big bonuses thanks to tax reform
In response to historic tax reform legislation, American companies are rewarding its employees. From Boeing to Wal-Mart, here’s a roundup of bonuses and extra perks corporate America is doling out.
Business Insider•yesterdayRipple's XRP is exploding after announcing a partnership with MoneyGram to speed up transfers (MGI)
MoneyGram has partnered with Ripple to use its XRP cryptocurrency in money transfers. Shares of MoneyGram, the second-largest money transfer company in the world, spiked as much 12.75% Thursday after the company said it had signed a partnership with Ripple to test using the company’s XRP cryptocurrency to improve transfer settlement times and costs. XRP is climbing as well, spiking as much as 14%.
- barrons.com•20 hours ago
General Electric: No Upgrade for You!
General Electric (GE) was among the most hated stocks of 2017. And even a hot start to 2018 isn't enough for some analysts to stop throwing shade. The company is definitely making waves. Its shares have gained 1.8%, to $19.27, as of 1:13 p.m. today, putting the stock up 10.4% so far this year. That makes it the second-best performer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, bested only by Boeing (BA), which has jumped 10.7% in 2018. Both have outperformed the Industrial Select Sector SPDR exchange-traded fund (XLI), which has gained 6.3%, to $79.26, this year. But are analysts rushing out to upgrade GE? Nope. Far from it. Of the seven analysts who have released notes on the industrial giant this year
- Bloomberg•2 days ago
Chinese Workers Abandon Silicon Valley for Riches Back Home
A few years ago, Wang Yi was living the American dream. U.S.-trained Chinese-born talent is becoming a key force in driving Chinese companies’ global expansion and the country’s efforts to dominate next-generation technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Associated Press•yesterdayImmigration agents descend on 7-Eleven stores in 17 states
Seven immigration agents filed into a 7-Eleven store before dawn Wednesday, waited for people to go through the checkout line and told arriving customers and a driver delivering beer to wait outside. Within 20 minutes, they verified that the cashier had a valid green card and served notice on the owner to produce hiring records in three days that deal with employees' immigration status. The well-rehearsed scene, executed with quiet efficiency in Los Angeles' Koreatown, played out at about 100 7-Eleven stores in 17 states and the District of Columbia, a rolling operation that officials called the largest immigration action against an employer under Donald Trump's presidency.
- Zacks•2 days ago
Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash Rise as Other Cryptocurrencies Tumble
The price of both Ethereum—the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency in terms of total market capitalization—and Bitcoin Cash—a so-called “hard fork” of the original Bitcoin—is soaring on Wednesday, despite steep declines in many other cryptocurrencies. According to CoinMarketCap.com, Ethereum has gained about 12.8% over the past 24 hours, while Bitcoin Cash is up about 12.3% over that same timeframe. Meanwhile, Bitcoin has tumbled about 4.0%, Litecoin has shed nearly 2.5%, and Ripple has plummeted more than 16.4%.
Business Insider•yesterdayWalmart is raising wages and issuing bonuses after tax reform (WMT)
Walmart is raising wages and issuing one time bonuses to employees. Walmart said it will raise the starting wage for its employees, and issue one time bonuses up to $1,000, as a direct result of the new US tax plan. Walmart is raising its starting hourly wage to $11, a move that will cost the company $300 million in addition to previously planned wage hikes.
- CNBC Videos•17 hours ago
Trading a surging Dow stock: 4 buys
The "Fast Money" traders give you 4 ways to trade a surging Dow stock.
Reuters•yesterdayFrench NGOs file complaint against Samsung Electronics over deceptive marketing
Two French rights groups said on Thursday they had filed a complaint against South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd over alleged deceptive marketing practices. The two non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Sherpa and ActionAid-Peuples solidaires, said Samsung Electronics had violated the fundamental rights of its employees in factories located in China and South Korea, contradicting commitments it had made, which it had used as a marketing tool. The complaint was filed with the Paris prosecutor against both the group and its French subsidiary Samsung Electronics France (SEF).
Reuters•56 minutes agoOPEC need not rush into changing oil pact: UAE
OPEC need not respond to a rise in oil prices by rushing to change a global supply-cutting pact, United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazroui said on Friday. This year's rapid rise in oil prices, which hit $70 this week, is backed by strong demand growth and a fall in oversupply on the back of the OPEC and non-OPEC pact, not only by political tensions, Mazroui said. Mazroui said that draining the oil glut needed time to bring global oil inventories down to the industry's five-year average.
Reuters•20 hours agoExclusive: Lufthansa CEO calls for significant Alitalia cuts - letter
Lufthansa sees a need for significant restructuring at Italy's Alitalia before the German group would be prepared to buy the airline, Lufthansa's chief executive said in a letter seen by Reuters, tempering expectations for a quick deal. "While recognising the valuable measures that have been undertaken to date... we strongly believe that there remains a considerable amount of work to be achieved before Lufthansa would be in the position to enter comprehensively into the next phase of the process," Carsten Spohr said in the letter to Italian Industry Minister Carlo Calenda on Thursday. Alitalia, which has made a profit only a few times in its 70-year history, was put under special administration last year after staff rejected a plan to cut jobs and salaries.
Reuters•15 hours agoCorporations may dodge billions in U.S. taxes through new loophole: experts
A loophole in the new U.S. tax law could allow multinational corporations like Apple Inc to avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes on profits stashed overseas, according to experts. Stemming from a Republican overhaul of international business taxes, the loophole involves the tax rates - 15.5 percent or 8 percent - that companies must pay on $2.6 trillion in profits they are holding abroad. By manipulating their foreign cash positions, a determining factor under the new law, a U.S. multinational could potentially save money by shifting profits to the lower rate from the higher one, according to Stephen Shay, a senior lecturer at Harvard Law School.
Associated Press•2 hours agoChina rebukes Zara, Delta for calling Taiwan 'country'
Chinese regulators rebuked fashion brand Zara, Delta Air Lines and medical device maker Medtronic on Friday for calling Taiwan a country on their websites in a fresh show of Beijing's acute sensitivity about the self-ruled island. Zara, Delta and Medtronic were ordered to remove the "illegal content" and make public apologies, airline and internet regulators said. Taiwan and the mainland split in 1949 after a civil war but the Communist Beijing government claims the island as its territory.
- Puget Sound Business Journal•2 days ago
Boeing 787 tracker expects record Dreamliner deliveries in 2018 (Video)
Boeing is likely to deliver more of its long-haul 787 Dreamliners than ever before in 2018. That's according to investment banker Uresh Sheth, who runs the All Things 787 blog and tracks deliveries of the fuel-efficient widebodies to airlines and other buyers. Boeing currently makes 12 Dreamliners a month, with assembly plants in Everett and North Charleston, South Carolina. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg announced in September that the Chicago-based jet maker would boost production to 14 a month early in 2019. Boeing said on Tuesday it delivered 136 Dreamliners in 2017, the exact number that Sheth tracked before Boeing announced its year-end tally. He expects 147 Dreamliner deliveries in 2018,
- Zacks•yesterday
Bull of the Day: Micron Technology (MU)
Micron Technology (MU), a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), is one of the world's leading providers of advanced semiconductor solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron manufactures and markets DRAMs, NAND flash memory, CMOS image sensors, other semiconductor
Associated Press•20 hours agoCorrection: Sears-Liquidity story
In a story Jan. 10 about department store chain Sears Holdings Corp. obtaining new financing, The Associated Press incorrectly quoted Jude Gorman, general counsel at Reorg, a research firm that follows distressed companies. NEW YORK (AP) — Sears has secured more financing, and is eying more cost cutting, as the beleaguered retailer reported a big sales drop during the critical holiday season. The company, which operates Sears and Kmart stores, said Wednesday that it secured $100 million in new financing, will seek twice that from other sources, and will attempt $200 million in additional cost cuts this year unrelated to store closings.
- Zacks•yesterday
The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Denbury Resources, ProPetro, Texas Instruments, Caterpillar and Huntsman
Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include Denbury Resources Inc. DNR, ProPetro Holding Corp. PUMP, Texas Instruments Inc. TXN, Caterpillar Inc. CAT and Huntsman Corporation HUN. Market pundits have set their eyes on Corporate America as it is gearing up to report Q4 earnings results later this week.
- Fox Business•23 hours ago
Walmart raises wages, but tech still cheaper long-term, fmr. McDonald's CEO says
Former McDonald’s USA (NYSE:MCD) CEO Ed Rensi said on Thursday the restaurant industry is a bellwether for the state of play in America’s minimum wage small businesses. Minimum wage increases took effect in 18 U.S. states in earlier this month, and has already impacted some casual dining chains. Restaurants aren’t the only industry seeing minimum wage increases, Walmart, on Thursday, raised its starting hourly wages to $11 an hour, while giving employees a one-time bonus of up to $1,000, depending upon the length of time spent with the company.
Business Insider•yesterdayIt looks like Warren Buffett has narrowed his choice for successor down to 2 people
Greg Abel and Ajit Jain — to Berkshire Hathaway's board of directors on Wednesday. The decision is seen as narrowing down Buffett's succession decision to the two individuals, who will now assume broader responsibilities. Warren Buffett's succession plan is coming into focus.
Business Insider•9 hours agoA senior Google exec allegedly personally intervened to block an employee from discussing diversity: 'If the majority of your coworkers are Nazis, it is better if you don’t know about it' (GOOG, GOOGL)
In a newly-released memo from January 2016, a former Google engineer alleges that Senior VP Urs Hölzle personally intervened to stop him from sharing topics related to diversity. “If the majority of your coworkers are Nazis, it is better if you don’t know about it," Hölzle allegedly said. Another Google Senior VP had previously intervened to quell a contentious email thread on women in tech, the memo alleges.
