The CEOs of 20 companies are visiting the White House Wednesday, and those executives will try to get something in return for the political cover they're giving President Obama. That could mean higher earnings for their shareholders down the road -- so which ones should you have in your 2011 portfolio?
The new products, which Cisco acquired when it bought Tandberg earlier this year, are aimed at midsize companies as Cisco expands its reach beyond Fortune 500 customers. The new products are part of Cisco's TelePresence lineup.
Intel announced Friday that it is increasing its quarterly dividend by 15% to 18 cents per share, and the world's largest microchip maker said it's on track to have its "best year ever."
Shares of networking equipment maker Cisco Systems plunged more than 16% Thursday as the company's forecast and comments from CEO John Chambers spooked investors.
In a sign of confidence in the economy, Microsoft says it's raising its dividend for the first time in two years. Shareholders will now get a quarterly dividend of 16 cents, up 23% from 13 cents. The news comes a week after Cisco said it would start paying a dividend.
Might other dividend holdouts Apple, Dell, eBay, Google and Yahoo follow Cisco's recent example and also institute a dividend? Each one can easily afford a similar 2% yield, but whether to take that path isn't an easy decision. Here's how the numbers work out.
Cisco Systems will pay out its first dividend within the next year, the computer-networking-gear maker promised shareholders Tuesday.
Cisco Systems and Westcon Group North America agreed to pay $48 million to settle charges they paid kickbacks and referral fees to win government business, and then recouped those costs and more by overcharging the government for their services.
Cisco is expanding its foray into the smart grid with plans to acquire Arch Rock. The San Francisco-based startup is developing wireless-networking equipment for the electrical grid.
Tech giant Cisco Systems reported a 79% increase in earnings but the company's revenue fell short of analyst expectations, causing investors to push the stock down over 5% after hours. Cisco's tepid results suggest that technology spending isn't growing as fast as investors had hoped.
EMeter, which makes software that monitors energy use, is the latest smart-grid tech startup to garner significant investment -- $12.5 million worth. With old electricity grids being replaced with smart ones, investors -- and tech giants like Google and Cisco -- are surging into the sector.
Wall Street analysts still predict a record $97 in profits for the S&P 500 next year despite a lackluster economy. Expectations of massive corporate profits have propped up the stock market. That could change quickly. (With video)
Shares of Internet networking giant Cisco tanked after its earnings report on Thursday, but the company hardly blew its quarterly earnings. In fact, Cisco beat estimates. That gives investors an opportunity to buy in at attractive levels.
Impressive results from tech bellwether Intel could set the stage for strong earnings from other tech players. But Wall Street's expectations depend on where a company fits in: Telecom and computer companies are in favor, while software and Internet, not so much.
