Specter of Higher Interest Rates Weighs on Markets
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke warns the central bank could begin winding down its bond buying program later this year, adding uncertainty that's likely to weigh on markets.
Tesla
Tesla Repays $465M Government Loan 9 Years Early
Electric carmaker Tesla has paid off its U.S. Department of Energy loan nine years earlier than required, using money raised last week in a stock and debt offering.
Wall Street Sags After Fed Comments, But Cisco Surges
U.S. stocks fell on Thursday, with the downturn accelerating after a Federal Reserve official said the central bank could begin easing up on its monetary stimulus this summer.
5 Winners and Losers of the Week in Business
It's been an interesting week in the world of business, from a smartphone pioneer losing another major client, to travel troubles on land and sea that have cost two companies some serious goodwill. Here's a rundown of this week's biggest wins and losses.
Wall Street Watch Wednesday: Electric Cars Take Another Blow
Despite today's high gas prices, it's been one piece of bad news after another lately from electric car makers. Last week it was Smith Electric Vehicles calling off its IPO. On Tuesday it was Tesla Motors lowering its near-term outlook.
BP's Prediction: Your Old Car Is Almost Obsolete
When a major oil company predicts that the era of gas-powered cars is coming to an end soon, the rest of us might want pay attention. According to BP, you've got maybe 18 years left before your car is obsolete -- and probably a lot less than that.
3 Reasons Why You're Not Buying an Electric Car
The electric car has arrived, but odds are that there isn't one in your driveway. Several factors have gotten in the way of the eco-friendly automotive revolution, but at least now we can ask conspiracy theorists -- who argue that oil companies and the government are blocking plug-in cars from the road -- to leave the room and take their tinfoil hats with them. The electric car is here; drivers simply don't want them yet.
Hating These Stocks Can Be Hazardous to Your Wealth
If you think a stock will fall, you can still profit on it -- by shorting it: Just sell shares you've "borrowed," then buy them later, ideally at a lower price. But it can be risky. Here are 5 companies you might be tempted to bet that way against -- and shouldn't.
Will You Buy an Electric Car? Tesla Hopes So
Upstart automaker Tesla Motors confirmed this week that its groundbreaking Model S, an all-electric luxury-sports sedan, was on track to enter production by this summer. It already has pre-orders for more than 8,000. Is the moment coming soon when electric cars go mainstream?
Can Obama's Proposed $7,500 Rebate Accelerate Electric-Car Sales?
In the State of the Union address in January, President Barack Obama set a goal of getting 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015. Now he's proposed $7,500 rebates, instead of tax credits, to reach that goal. Will that be enough to make it doable?
Toyota Revives Miss. Plant, Will Boost U.S. Production
Toyota plans to rev up its vehicle production in the U.S., despite November's 7.3% drop in U.S. sales. The automaker has hired the first of an expected 2,000 workers for a new Mississippi Corolla plant, and says it expects to boost overall capacity utilization significantly from last year's weak levels.
Church: A Place to Recharge Your ... Car?
Fueling up your car at a church seems like a novel idea. But the emergence of an electric car market has resulted in a charging station at the Wooden Cross Lutheran church some 25 miles northeast of Seattle.
Tesla and Toyota Team Up in a $60 Million Electric RAV4 Deal
Tesla Motors has signed a $60 million contract with Toyota Motor to develop an all-electric version of the popular RAV4 compact sports-utility vehicle, Tesla said Wednesday.
IPO Filing Offers Peek Under the Hood of the New GM
A little more than a year ago, bankrupt GM required a massive government bail-out. Today the company began its return to Wall Street by formally filing to hold an IPO. Yet it remains unclear if the once-troubled automaker will be a good investment.
IPOs Are Coming Back Strong in 2010
IPOs increased last quarter to their best pace since the financial crisis began, and the pipeline is filled with highly anticipated new offerings. It's a sign that markets are more willing to finance long-term growth, and that investors are again willing to take risks for higher returns.
At $41,000, Will Buyers Plug Into Chevy's Volt?
GM has finally put a sticker price on its much anticipated plug-in electric hybrid. Granted, a hefty federal tax credit will defray the cost, but the Volt carries a premium price. GM's challenge now is convincing consumers the Volt is worth it.
Honda Plugs Into the Electric-Car Bandwagon
With Honda's president saying the company had "no future" if it didn't make vehicles that emitted less carbon dioxide, the Japanese carmaker is now gearing up to join Toyota, GM and Nissan in the electric-car and plug-in hybrid derby.
Three Greentech Auto Stocks to Watch
The hard-hit U.S. auto industry is making a comeback, partly due to advances in green technologies. From electric cars to engines that operate on natural gas, greentech should be good news not only for the industry, but also for investors. Hilary Kramer explains how to profit.
Tesla Preparing to Ship Electric Car Prototypes to Toyota
Toyota Motor's recent $50 million investment in electric-car upstart Tesla Motors is already paying dividends. Tesla reportedly will ship two prototypes, based on Toyota's RAV4 sport utility vehicle and Lexus RX crossover, to the Japanese automaker later this month.
As Toyota Joins With Tesla, Alternative Fuels a Major Focus
Toyota, maker of the popular Prius hybrid, is preparing to move into other alternative-fuel technologies such as hydrogen fuel-cells and biofuels. Its recent large investment in Tesla Motors is just the first such partnership the world's largest automaker is pursuing.
IPOs Rebound in the Second Quarter
It was a tough second quarter for investors, as the S&P 500 fell 12.5%. The driving factors include major debt problems in Europe and a fear of a double-dip recession in the U.S. Despite all this, the IPO market recorded decent performance.
Tesla's Shiny New Stock
Runs Out of Juice
Tesla's electric cars have amazing acceleration, but the company's stock has been moving even faster since its IPO last week. It shot up 79% in its first two days, but has since fallen below the IPO price. Venture capitalists and cleantech startups are watching carefully.
Daily Blogwatch: What Marilyn Monroe's Chest X-Rays Are Worth
Some of the best reads for investors from around the Web, including posts about the Standard & Poor's 500 reaching its lowest price-per-earnings ratio ever, a biotech stock with the potential to quintuple in value and the market price of Marilyn Monroe's chest and pelvis X-rays.
Electric-Car Maker Fisker Gets the OK to Buy an Old GM Plant
A federal bankruptcy judge approved the $20 million sale of a 3.2 million-square-foot former GM plant in Wilmington, Del., to Fisker Automotive, a California-based plug-in electric vehicle start-up.
Tesla Motors' Shares Zoom 12% in Trading Debut
Tesla Motors' stock surged as much as 12% to $19 in its trading debut Tuesday, a day after the IPO priced at $17 a share. The luxury electric car manufacturer is the first U.S. automaker to go public in more than 50 years.
Tesla Promises to Charge Up the IPO Market
IPOs have been pretty tame so far this year, but here comes a much-buzzed-about offering from Tesla, featuring supersexy electric vehicles, like the Model S, and Elon Musk -- a CEO who's so far making far more headlines than cars.