Businesses love how Twitter lets them connect in a personal way with customers. But because of tweeting's casual and irreverent style, some companies get lulled into a false sense of intimacy -- right up until a poorly thought out tweet gets them into serious hot water.
Toyota will announce Friday that by September, it expects to have all of its North American plants back to their normal production levels. Then, it can begin attempting to recoup the U.S. market share it lost due to shortages related to the Japan earthquake and tsunami, as well as a slew of recalls.
Car prices have risen quickly and quietly in the last few weeks. According to auto industry research firm Edmunds, the average amount buyers are paying for cars or light trucks is up $350 since Japan's earthquake and tsunami in March -- and the price of Japanese vehicles is up even more.
Not long ago, everyone knew gas was sure to reach $4 a gallon for regular on a nationwide basis soon. Now, though, that sure thing is looking iffy: Gas prices are wavering, and a number of factors at home and abroad are about to come together to push demand -- and prices -- lower.
The deadly tornadoes that struck the South and Midwest in April, the devastating quake in Japan and concerns about terrorist reprisals after Osama bin Laden's death should serve as reminders to property owners: plan for the worst-case scenario.
Detroit's revival is nearly complete: Chrysler recently made its first profit in five years, Ford has posted its best results since 1998, and GM is poised to retake the crown as the world's biggest automaker. But to hold onto that position, GM will have to adjust to a rapidly shifting auto market.
Apple is gearing up to report its quarterly results after the markets close Wednesday, and both investors and consumers are wondering if it'll take a hit from Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami, which have already rocked the earnings results of some other tech titans.
Days after Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, some investing experts pronounced the country's woes a buying opportunity. A cash stampede into U.S.-based Japan exchange-traded funds followed. But these investments carry greater risks than the average Joe probably realizes.
The Japanese are stockpiling bottled water and other drinks after being warned that unsafe levels of radioactive iodine had been found in Tokyo's tap water. That moved investors to jump on the stocks of beverage makers, but only a few companies are in a position to meet Japan's rising demand.
Japan's domestic food supply faces plenty of threats, including nuclear radiation, a crippled distribution infrastructure and a shaky electric grid. But there's some good news for U.S. suppliers: A shortage of domestic beef and pork could increase the market for imported meat.
Despite turbulent times, U.S. markets are rising again. But is this a temporary bump, or the return of a bull market? The sharp-eyed analysts of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs say its the latter, and their money is on strong growth ahead.
The Japanese government says the economic toll from the earthquake and tsunami could exceed $300 billion, considerably higher than other estimates.
Both a major buyer and processor of fish, Japan is an important link in the global seafood distribution chain. So the effects of the disaster -- including the ruined ports, roads, fisheries and processing centers -- have taken their toll on the seafood industry worldwide.
The Group of Seven countries on Thursday agreed to intervene to reduce the value of the Japanese yen, which has surged to record levels after last week's earthquake and tsunami. A strong yen could cripple the country's exports and further damage its economy.
It's easy to be pessimistic these days. Libya's civil war, surging oil prices and the disaster in Japan have combined forces to send financial markets tumbling. But the cold, hard facts about the economy paint a more optimistic picture.
As people in Japan's earthquake-tsunami disaster zone deal with the additional danger of radiation from damaged nuclear reactors, nations across the globe are taking the crisis as a sign that it's time to get more aggressive in their development of safer nuclear power plants.
Some investors have been running scared after the quake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan and left it with an ongoing nuclear crisis. But when there's gloom in the air, there's also opportunity to buy on the dip and gain from the rebound.
As Japan's nuclear crisis deepens, Wall Street may begin to focus on a small group of almost-ignored young biotechs. Known as the bio-defense group, these firms develop products that help protect the population from radiation leaks resulting from nuclear accidents or attacks.
The Japanese are the world's most voracious consumers of luxury goods, from Louis Vuitton handbags to Cartier jewelry to Hermes high fashion. So purveyors of those luxury goods are justifiably worried about the effect of the Japanese quake and tsunami on their bottom lines.
Companies in the U.S. and elsewhere are ready with their donations to help the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. But experts say hard cash, and not services and supplies, are needed most in the immediate aftermath of a major disaster.
Japan suffered a massive 8.8 earthquake Friday, the strongest to occur in the past century, sending Asian stock markets tumbling. In Japan the Nikkei 225 Index spiraled down 1.7% and in Hong Kong the Hang Seng Index dropped 1.6%. China's Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.8%.
A major earthquake in northeastern Japan hit stocks all round the world Friday, leaving investors on edge as they ponder the potential fallout.