Office Depot-OfficeMax Merger May Mean Higher Prices for Consumers
Shares of office supply stores Office Depot and OfficeMax soared Tuesday on the strength of merger talks. But what's good for Wall Street may not be good for the stores' customers.
Shares of office supply stores Office Depot and OfficeMax soared Tuesday on the strength of merger talks. But what's good for Wall Street may not be good for the stores' customers.
It once seemed that Staples and other office supply stores were largely immune from Amazon's competition, with local advantages that the online superstore couldn't match. Now, however, Staples finds itself putting together a battle plan against Bezos & Co.
Let's go over some of the items that will help shape the Wall Street week that lies ahead: A host of retailers are reporting earnings; we'll see how Disney's 24 Leap Day event plays out; a test for homemade soda; and a wake-up call for DreamWorks.
Staples reported strong earnings this morning, which should be of interest even to those who own no stock in the office supply giant. The reason is obvious: Demand for desks, printers, and the like is a fairly good indicator of our economic outlook.
The famously frugal host of The Clark Howard Show shares some tips on saving money from his latest book, Living Large in Lean Times. He also discusses one thing not to do.











