Microsoft is no longer willing to simply put out the software and establish the ecosystems for the benefit of its longtime hardware partners. The company wants some more skin in the hardware game.
Sears is moving forward with plans to spin off its Hometown and Outlet stores as well as some hardware stores into a separate publicly traded company. Sears, which also owns Kmart, has looked at spinoffs and real estate sales to restore profitability and boost shareholder confidence.
Over the last few years, Home Depot has expanded its retail stores aggressively, adding more than 200 outlets annually. However, the firm has recently embarked on a $1.1 billion program to improve its Web presence while dramatically reducing the number of new store openings to around 10 in 2011.
As the competition between home improvement heavyweights Lowe's and Home Depot intensifies, customer service is emerging as one of the key features on which they will need to innovate. Lowe's latest attempt is a new incentive program for customers paying with the store's credit card.
With trillions of dollars sitting in corporate coffers, the spigots of capital flowing to technology are finally opening up again. Gartner Research projects 5.1% growth in information technology spending in 2011. So which companies' stocks should you buy to take advantage?
The world's second-largest home improvement retailer reported that its earnings rose 17% in the third quarter. While the profit beat analysts' estimates, sales came in lower than expectations.
Rumors are circulating that Oracle is considering buying data storage giant EMC for $50 billion. There are four tests to determine whether a merger has a chance to succeed: Does this one pass or fail?
IBM has realigned its executive suites and expanded the roles of four of its top managers, according to an internal memo sent to employees Monday -- a move that potentially paves the way for one of them to become the successor to CEO Sam Palmisano.
The East Coast heat wave is warming up more than sidewalks: It's also helping retailers shake up sales. Merchants are expected to report healthy numbers when they post their June sales figures Thursday, and several could update their second-quarter guidance as a result.
With enterprise computing and consumer electronics converging, special-use devices with integrated software, memory and storage are set to take off. Database giant Oracle, which now owns the Java programming language, could be a leader.
On Thursday, chip-maker Advanced Micro Devices will step into the earnings spotlight. Analysts' expectations call for a loss of 15 cents per share, compared a loss of 69 cents per share a year ago. But even if AMD beats expectations, a sell-off may be in the cards.
As the nation rebuilds after a recession, it's no surprise tool maker Stanley Works stands to gain. With its pending purchase of rival Black and Decker, Stanley now has even more going for it. The stock has already rallied, but its steady growth and history suggest further upside.
The Commerce Department's monthly sales tally for November showed unexpected pockets of strength among retailers, including car dealers and online sales. Most retail categories posted higher sales, except clothing and housewares.
