9 posts and columns on credit rating

Dow Slides 5.5 Percent, Ending Below 11,000

in News on August 8, 2011 at 1:39 pm PT

U.S. stocks tumbled in a Monday rout that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 5.5 percent, plunging below 11000 for the first time since November, as investors fled from risky assets in the first trading session since Standard & Poor’s downgraded the federal government’s credit rating late Friday.

News Byte

Microsoft Reportedly Mulling Debt Sale to Fund Dividends, Buybacks

in News on September 13, 2010 at 2:43 pm PT

Microsoft stock took a nice little hop toward the end of the trading day on an anonymously sourced Bloomberg report that the company may issue debt and put the proceeds toward dividends and share repurchases, perhaps as soon as the end of this year. No figures were mentioned, but one analyst told Bloomberg that Microsoft could raise at least $5 billion without putting a dent in its credit rating.

News Byte

NYSE to Hit Eject Button on Blockbuster

in News on July 2, 2010 at 12:43 pm PT

How the mighty have fallen. The New York Stock Exchange is set to delist beleaguered Blockbuster next week after the video rental chain’s shareholders failed to approve measures that would have lifted the stock price above the NYSE’s $1 minimum (it’s currently trading under 20 cents). And if that weren’t enough, Standard & Poor’s downgraded Blockbuster’s corporate credit rating today, a day after the company missed $42.4 million in debt payments. Cue the circling-the-drain sound effect.

Microsoft: Mr. Acquisitive?

in News on May 11, 2009 at 11:58 am PT

With $25 billion in its coffers, Microsoft isn’t exactly hurting for cash. So why is the company planning a bond offering that could raise billions in additional capital? Microsoft will say only that the sale of the notes will be used for “general corporate purposes.” Those include working capital and share buybacks. They also include acquisitions.
money

Motorola to 400 Employees: Looks Like We, Heh-Heh, Forgot to Fire You

in News on December 31, 2008 at 1:44 pm PT

Earlier this year Motorola said it would sack 1,500 employees during the fourth quarter of 2008. Apparently, that was a mistake. What it meant to say was that it planned to sack 1,900 employees during the fourth quarter of 2008, as evidenced today by the company’s announcement that it will lay off 400 more employees than originally expected this year.

Insert Motorola "GONR" Joke Here

in News on December 9, 2008 at 2:29 pm PT

If Motorola were a Greek tragedy, we’d be at that point in the narrative where the company is just about to blind itself out of grief–with a pair of RAZRs, of course. Two reports issued today show an already grim scenario for Motorola growing markedly worse.

Insert Motorola “GONR” Joke Here

in News on December 9, 2008 at 2:29 pm PT

If Motorola were a Greek tragedy, we’d be at that point in the narrative where the company is just about to blind itself out of grief–with a pair of RAZRs, of course. Two reports issued today show an already grim scenario for Motorola growing markedly worse.

S&P Announces Motorola JNKR

in News on December 5, 2008 at 4:01 pm PT

Today brought with it nasty news for Motorola. Standard & Poor’s slashed its corporate credit rating on the long-suffering handset maker, noting that the company’s troubled mobile business is likely to continue what is already a two-year downward slide.

S&P Announces Motorola JNKR

in News on December 5, 2008 at 4:01 pm PT

Today brought with it nasty news for Motorola. Standard & Poor’s slashed its corporate credit rating on the long-suffering handset maker, noting that the company’s troubled mobile business is likely to continue what is already a two-year downward slide.