The parent company of Liberty Tax picked an awful time to announce its IPO, a day after rival H&R Block announced weak quarterly returns. But JTH Holdings' taxing dilemma wasn't last week's only head-scratching news. Here are some of the week's other biggest surprises, blunders, and just flat out boneheaded maneuvers.
Plenty of big names are set to report their earnings in August, including the country's largest cable and satellite television providers, several of China's leading dot-coms, radio giant Sirius XM, car rental companies Zipcar and Avis, and the two biggest video game developers.
George Soros, the man who made $1 billion in a day by shorting the British pound, is returning all outside money invested in his hedge fund, citing new disclosure requirements in the Dodd-Frank Act. Coverage of this enormous story has so far been misleading. Here's what's really going on in Soros's head -- we think.
There's trouble brewing at Redbox: President Mitch Lowe has announced his resignation, and parent company Coinstar revised its second-quarter revenue outlook downward last week. Here are some key signs consumers and investors should watch to see if the Redbox business model (i.e. kiosk rental machines) is obsolete.
Could you live on less than $30 a day? If you don't have a pension or adequate personal savings, that's what the typical retiree will get in 2036, even setting aside the near-term risks facing Social Security. But don't despair: There are ways to boost your benefits, and ensure that old age doesn't equal penury.
Credit cards can destroy your financial life, if you're not careful. But choose the right one -- a card that fits with how you spend your money and what you like as a reward -- pay your balance in full each month, and you can turn ordinary, necessary expenditures into real life-enhancers.
A study published this year found that stocks purchased by House of Representatives members from 1985 through 2001 "earn[ed] statistically significant positive abnormal returns," outperforming the market by more than six percentage points a year. And senators, it appears, have done even better.
Under Armour blew past analysts' sales estimates and, even better, upped its annual sales forecast. But although those performances certainly looked good, the company actually burned cash in the quarter, pouring money back into its inventory. Investors need to watch this.
Google, Apple, IBM and eBay are all hiring. Good news for the flagging U.S. jobs market, right? Not exactly: Many of the positions being created are for openings overseas. And that's not likely to change, because companies have learned to do more with less since the Great Recession.
Focusing on cash flow -- instead of the figures Wall Street is so fond of -- is a good way to measure a company's strength. That said, just like revenue and earnings, cash flow can be manipulated in order to hoodwink investors. Look out for these four signs that a company's pulling a fast one with cash flow.
With both obesity and fiscal austerity on the rise, makers of unhealthy foods are a tempting target for taxation. While companies like Coca-Cola and McDonald's are most obviously in the sights of the food police, the rest of the food industry may be vulnerable as well.
The market for used cars is white-hot, and lists of the best models tend to favor brands like Toyota, Lexus, and Honda. But there are better bets for those who don't want to pay a premium for a reliable ride -- if they're willing to buy American: Increased quality plus compromised reputation equals value.
Ford's dramatic turnaround has captured the attention of investors and car buyers alike. The only major American automaker to ride out the crisis without government assistance, Ford has returned to solid profitability with a slew of impressive new products. Investors take note.
