DailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comDailyFinance.comhttp://o.aolcdn.com/os/df/2013/img/2-dailyfinance_logo_m.pngDailyFinance.comhttp://www.dailyfinance.comen-usCopyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Is Twitter Slipping or Regrouping?http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/30/is-twitter-slipping-or-regrouping/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/30/is-twitter-slipping-or-regrouping/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/30/is-twitter-slipping-or-regrouping/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Taken as a whole, 2009 was a great year for Twitter. The white-hot social media site approached a membership of 58 million registered users, each revealing life details in bite-sized increments of 140 characters or less. It struck data licensing deals with Google (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT) to help them with their real-time search ambitions. And, it fostered an ecosystem of independent application developers that fueled its growth, turning Twitter into a genuine community.

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]]>competeCompete.comcomscorecomScore NetworksComscoreInc.googgooglemicrobloggingMicrosoftMSFTonline mediaSCORsocial mediasocial networkingtwitterTom JohansmeyerSat, 30 Jan 2010 10:00:00 ESTChristie's Is Ready to Share the Risk in Art Market Recoveryhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/28/christies-is-ready-to-share-the-risk-in-art-market-recovery/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/28/christies-is-ready-to-share-the-risk-in-art-market-recovery/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/28/christies-is-ready-to-share-the-risk-in-art-market-recovery/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Christie's International (CRUPF) expects to have a better year in 2010 than it did in 2009, a goal which shouldn't be too difficult for the auction house to achieve. Following a dismal year for art sales, there's nowhere to go but up. Yet there are degrees of recovery: Though the practice of guaranteeing minimum prices is poised to return, sellers won't see a swift return to the prices objects fetched at auction in 2007.

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]]>artart auctionart auctionsart marketauctionauction housesauction-housebidChristiesChristiesAuctionChristiesAuctionHousecontemporary artfinancial crisisphillips de puryrecessionSothebysothebysTom JohansmeyerThu, 28 Jan 2010 09:29:00 ESTInitial Penthouse Offering, Take Two: Go Public or Go Busthttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/25/initial-penthouse-offering-take-two-porn-purveryor-must-go-pub/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/25/initial-penthouse-offering-take-two-porn-purveryor-must-go-pub/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/25/initial-penthouse-offering-take-two-porn-purveryor-must-go-pub/#commentsFiled under: ,

FriendFinder Network needs money ... fast. But, this is nothing new. The weight of hundreds of millions of dollars of short-term debt and no way to repay it has prompted the company formerly known as Penthouse Media Group to turn to the public capital markets for the help it needs. It's a desperate move, as FFN learned a year ago when it made the same announcement under the same circumstances. Likely, the results will be the same as well. FFN didn't go public last year, and 2010 probably won't be any different.

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]]>adult entertainmentAdultFriendFinderadultfriendfinder.comFriendFinderFriendFinder Networkinitial public offeringinitial public offeringsipomark bellpenthousePenthouse Media GrouppornpornosexTom JohansmeyerMon, 25 Jan 2010 15:20:00 ESTIs the Art Market Bust Finally Over?http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/22/is-the-art-market-bust-finally-over/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/22/is-the-art-market-bust-finally-over/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/22/is-the-art-market-bust-finally-over/#commentsFiled under: ,

If the recent art market boom had a poster child, it may have been the British painter Lucian Freud. Before the boom ended suddenly in summer 2008, Freud's paintings (like The Sparrowhawk, pictured here at a 2008 Christie's auction in London) fetched sky-high prices, buoyed by an auction scene that seemed intent on adding zeroes to integers. It was stunning that any work by a living artist could fetch more than $30 million -- but then the bottom fell out, the exuberance ended, and the market reeled from a year and a half of anguish.

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]]>andy warholartart collectionart collectorart marketartistArtistsartworkdamien hirstenglandfrancis baconjean-michel basquiatJeff Koonslondonlucian freudmonetpeter brantpeter doigroman abramovichyves kleinTom JohansmeyerFri, 22 Jan 2010 11:56:00 ESTHelp Wanted: Twitter Seeks Staff Who Can Shake Its Monetizerhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/11/help-wanted-twitter-seeks-staff-who-can-shake-its-monetizer/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/11/help-wanted-twitter-seeks-staff-who-can-shake-its-monetizer/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/11/help-wanted-twitter-seeks-staff-who-can-shake-its-monetizer/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Twitter is looking for money-makers. The microblogging service, which has convinced close to 60 million people to communicate in 140 characters or less, is said to have big dreams for 2010, with speculation ranging from an acquisition by Google (GOOG) to initial public offering ambitions. The company's major challenge, however, is bringing revenue in the door. Despite the reports of Twitter's profitability that circulated the week before Christmas, it's more likely the company is still operating in the red. So now, the company is looking for people who specialize in making money.

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]]>BlackBerrygooggooglehootsuiteinitial public offeringinitial public offeringsipoMicrosoftMSFTsocial mediaTextingtwitterubertwitterTom JohansmeyerMon, 11 Jan 2010 13:48:00 ESTAfter 2009, Private Equity Fund-Raising Has Low Expectations for 2010http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/10/after-2009-private-equity-fund-raising-has-low-expectations-for/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/10/after-2009-private-equity-fund-raising-has-low-expectations-for/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/10/after-2009-private-equity-fund-raising-has-low-expectations-for/#commentsFiled under: ,

The private equity sector suffered severely in 2009. The late 2008 financial crisis shaped the year that followed it, constraining institutional investor capital and limiting strategic alternatives. Even with the recovery in public capital markets that occurred in 2009, investors in private equity funds remained cautious with their cash, a trend that appears likely to continue into 2010. New capital raised by private equity funds fell 61% from 2008 to 2009, with the deferred effects of the 2008 financial crisis finally coming to bear.

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]]>Alternative investmentsfund raisingPreqinPrivate equityreal estateventure capitalTom JohansmeyerSun, 10 Jan 2010 21:50:00 ESTEven Porn Stars Get the Recession Blueshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/08/even-porn-stars-get-the-recession-blues/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/08/even-porn-stars-get-the-recession-blues/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/08/even-porn-stars-get-the-recession-blues/#commentsFiled under: , ,

At the Adult Entertainment Expo four years ago this month, I passed through the security checkpoint at The Sands Hotel in Las Vegas -- and was struck by the sheer volume of people. The porn industry's annual convention had packed more than 30,000 attendees into two exhibit halls. It was nearly impossible to move around, or have a conversation, let alone interview a company executive. But as I pushed through the crowded aisles between elaborate displays, I could feel the energy pulsing through the room.

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]]>adult entertainmentadult videoAdult video contentadult video industryAdult Video Networkadult video newsonline pornpornporn starpornopornographyPornStarssexTom JohansmeyerFri, 08 Jan 2010 20:00:00 ESTIs Twitter Really Profitable? Do the Mathhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/24/is-twitter-really-profitable-do-the-math/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/24/is-twitter-really-profitable-do-the-math/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/24/is-twitter-really-profitable-do-the-math/#commentsFiled under: ,

When reports of Twitter's profitability came out, it seemed like a great underdog story. Social media critics have long blasted the microblogging platform for its lack of a revenue model. In October, real-time search deals with Google (GOOG) and Microsoft (MSFT) generated $25 million in revenue -- more than Twitter's annual expenses of between $20 million and $25 million. That would indicate a profit -- never mind the $155 million that's been invested in the company -- but are the Champagne corks flying too soon?

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]]>googgooglemicroblogmicrobloggingmicroblogsMicrosoftMSFTsearchsearch enginesearch enginessocial mediasocial media marketingtwitterTom JohansmeyerThu, 24 Dec 2009 11:04:00 ESTJudge nixes mandatory condoms in porn flickshttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/24/judge-nixes-mandatory-condoms-in-porn-flicks/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/24/judge-nixes-mandatory-condoms-in-porn-flicks/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/24/judge-nixes-mandatory-condoms-in-porn-flicks/#commentsFiled under: ,

The porn business is going to keep its elbow room. A petition by an AIDS advocacy group to require that adult film companies use condoms when shooting movies has been denied by a Los Angeles judge. While a few performers require that condoms be used, the practice is not the norm.

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]]>adam and eveadult entertainmentadult filmadult filmsadult moviesaidsbelladonnacondomcondomshealthhivlos angelespornporn starpornopornographyPornStarsSasha GreysexSexuallyTransmittedDiseasesSTDSTDsvividvivid entertainmentTom JohansmeyerThu, 24 Dec 2009 10:06:00 ESTFacebook 'Friending' With Benefits Is Benefiting Divorce Lawyershttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/23/facebook-friending-with-benefits-is-benefiting-divorce-lawyers/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/23/facebook-friending-with-benefits-is-benefiting-divorce-lawyers/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/23/facebook-friending-with-benefits-is-benefiting-divorce-lawyers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Social networking sites have developed an unusual, but perhaps unsurprising, new fan base: divorce attorneys. More and more divorce petitions are mentioning Facebook and similar tools as contributing factors. So in at least one corner of the professional world, the constant criticism we've heard this year and last about "over-sharing" isn't being echoed. There's an entire demographic that would love to see more people spill their secrets publicly, and help turn associates into partners.

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]]>attorneyattorneysdivorceDivorce Lawyerdivorce lawyerslawlegalsocial mediasocial networksocial networkingsocial networking sitessocial networkstwitterTom JohansmeyerWed, 23 Dec 2009 11:09:00 ESTInsurers Feeling the Urge to Merge in 2010http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/22/insurers-feeling-the-urge-to-merge-in-2010/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/22/insurers-feeling-the-urge-to-merge-in-2010/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/22/insurers-feeling-the-urge-to-merge-in-2010/#commentsFiled under: , ,

M&A will likely dominate the insurance and reinsurance market next year, as stronger balance sheets inspire firms to look for growth through acquisitions. Following the September 2008 financial crisis, reinsurers lost around 18% of their capital, but it hasn't taken long for the carriers to stage a comeback. Now, it's time to put their money to work.

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]]>acquisitionacquisitionsAIGamerican international groupdbDeutsche BankhbchsbcHSBC HoldingsINGing groepING Groupinsuranceinsurance companiesinsurance industrymergersmergers and acquisitionsMunichReReinsurancereinsurance industrySWCEYswiss reSwiss ReinsuranceTom JohansmeyerTue, 22 Dec 2009 08:45:00 ESTCat Bond Market Pushes Past $3 Billionhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/21/cat-bond-market-pushes-past-3-billion/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/21/cat-bond-market-pushes-past-3-billion/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/21/cat-bond-market-pushes-past-3-billion/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Maybe now people will believe that the catastrophe bond market has recovered fully. After seizing up last year because of the problems at Lehman Brothers and American International Group (AIG) -- and the effects they had on credit markets -- cat bonds got off to a slow start this year. However, the latest bond to come to market, from Travelers (TRV), pushes the 2009 cat bond issuance volume past $3 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.%%DynaPub-Enhancement class="enhancement contentType-HTML Content fragmentId-1 payloadId-61603 alignment-right size-small"%%

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]]>AIGAmerican International GroupBNP ParibasBNPQYcatastrophecatastrophic insuranceGoldman SachsGoldman Sachs GroupGoldman Sachs Group GSGSinsurance companiesinsurance industryMarsh & McLennan Cosmarsh and mclennanMMCReinsurancereinsurance industrytravelerstravelers insuranceTRVTom JohansmeyerMon, 21 Dec 2009 13:40:00 ESTReinsurers to Take it on the Chin: Rates Likely to Fall 9% in Januaryhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/21/reinsurers-to-take-it-on-the-chin-rates-likely-to-fall-9-in-ja/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/21/reinsurers-to-take-it-on-the-chin-rates-likely-to-fall-9-in-ja/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/21/reinsurers-to-take-it-on-the-chin-rates-likely-to-fall-9-in-ja/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Jan. 1, 2010, reinsurance renewal is approaching fast, but a quiet year for catastrophe losses is causing the annual ritual to proceed slowly. Insurers and reinsurers are still dancing around an agreement on next year's rates, and an insider at a major reinsurance intermediary tells me that the process could extend well into January. Expect reinsurance rates to fall 9% for the property-catastrophe sector.

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]]>American International Groupfinancial crisisinsuranceinsurance companiesLehman BrothersOne Year LaterReinsuranceTom JohansmeyerMon, 21 Dec 2009 13:07:00 ESTBanking Liability Litigation Drops, Making Insurance Cheaperhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/21/banking-liability-litigation-drops-making-insurance-cheaper/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/21/banking-liability-litigation-drops-making-insurance-cheaper/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/21/banking-liability-litigation-drops-making-insurance-cheaper/#commentsFiled under: ,

The up-tick in equity markets may leave lawyers in the lurch. We all waited for litigation to surge following the financial crisis, with plaintiff attorneys chasing professional liability policies on behalf of shareholders feeling wronged. The spike suspected by the insurance industry never materialized, though, according to Aon Corp (AON). As a result, insurance and reinsurance pricing for this sector is likely to stay under control.

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]]>AIGamerican international groupAoncbChubbdirectorsfinancial crisisfinancial servicesfinancial services industryinsuranceinsurance claimsliabilityliability claimsliability insuranceMarsh & McLennan CosOne Year Laterprofessional liabilityReinsurancexlxl capitalTom JohansmeyerMon, 21 Dec 2009 11:30:00 ESTSeven More Banks Fail, Bringing Total to 140http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/20/seven-more-banks-fail-bringing-total-to-140/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/20/seven-more-banks-fail-bringing-total-to-140/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/20/seven-more-banks-fail-bringing-total-to-140/#commentsFiled under:

The financial crisis has claimed seven more banks, bringing the total number of casualties this year to 140. The FDIC took over all seven of them: Two large banks in California, and smaller ones in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Illinois. California is among the states most severely impacted by the collapse of the real estate market, which has put pressure on mortgages written by community banks.

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]]>bankbankingbanking sectorbanksFDICFdicBankfederal deposit insurance corpFederal Deposit Insurance CorporationTom JohansmeyerSun, 20 Dec 2009 10:00:00 ESTFacebook's New Privacy Settings Spark a Public Spathttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/18/facebooks-new-privacy-settings-spark-a-public-spat/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/18/facebooks-new-privacy-settings-spark-a-public-spat/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/18/facebooks-new-privacy-settings-spark-a-public-spat/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It was only a matter of time until someone decided to challenge Facebook legally. Social media and privacy are constantly at odds, with service providers trying desperately to create boundaries and encourage users to blow past them. Bigger networks, more friends and boatloads of user-generated content translate to more traffic, eyeballs and cash in the bank.

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]]>epicfacebook privacyFederal Trade Commissionftcinitial public offeringipolinkedinLinkedIn.comprivacysocial mediatwitterTom JohansmeyerFri, 18 Dec 2009 15:45:00 ESTInsurers Will Come Back to Hedge Funds in 2010http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/18/insurers-will-come-back-to-hedge-funds-in-2010/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/18/insurers-will-come-back-to-hedge-funds-in-2010/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/18/insurers-will-come-back-to-hedge-funds-in-2010/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Insurance companies cut their hedge fund allocations in 2009, but the sting of the financial crisis will wear off next year. Look for more insurance money to flow into the hedge fund sector in 2010, as carriers seek to take advantage of an economic recovery.

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]]>AIGamerican international groupasset allocationfinancial crisishedge fundHedge fundsinsurance companiesinsurance companyinsurance industryMarsh & McLennan Cosmarsh and mclennanMMCOne Year LaterPreqinrecessionrisk managementTom JohansmeyerFri, 18 Dec 2009 12:30:00 ESTBoards of Directors Are Doing More to Earn Their Keephttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/18/boards-of-directors-are-doing-more-to-earn-their-keep/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/18/boards-of-directors-are-doing-more-to-earn-their-keep/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/18/boards-of-directors-are-doing-more-to-earn-their-keep/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Sitting on a corporate board of directors has always been great work if you can get it, especially if it's with a company that's generous with its board member compensation. But these days, directors are doing a little more to earn their keep.

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]]>aaplAIGamerican international groupAppleboard of directorsboards of directorscompensatecompensationcorporate boardCorporate LibraryEnergyenergy industryenergy stocksexecutive compensationfinancial crisisGoldman SachsGoldman Sachs GroupGoldman Sachs Group GSGSIntuitive SurgicalIntuitive Surgical Inc ISRGISRGMorgan Stanleymorgan stanley msmsNaborsNabors IndustriesNBROne Year Laterrecessiontarpthe corporate libraryTroubled Asset Relief ProgramTom JohansmeyerFri, 18 Dec 2009 11:00:00 ESTThis Week, Social Media Sold Out and Became Social Marketinghttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/16/this-week-social-media-sold-out-and-became-social-marketing/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/16/this-week-social-media-sold-out-and-became-social-marketing/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/16/this-week-social-media-sold-out-and-became-social-marketing/#commentsFiled under: ,

It didn't take long for brand managers and manufacturers of all types to realize the opportunities afforded by social media. Almost as soon as each new platform appeared, corporations jumped on board, constructing MySpace sites, Facebook fan pages, Twitter accounts and more, all aimed at grabbing a bit more of a particular target market. Promotional saturation can be the kiss of death for a social media platform, turning it into a virtual mall, devoid of its original meaning to its traditional users. But little can be done to control the characteristics of a social media platform's users.

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]]>brandbrand managementbrand managersfacebook.comiPodlinkedinLinkedIn.commarketingmyspacemyspace.comrevenuesocial mediasocial media marketingsocial networksocial networkingsocial networking sitessocial networkstwitterTom JohansmeyerWed, 16 Dec 2009 15:00:00 ESTVirgin America soars in its third quarterhttp://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/12/virgin-america-soars-in-its-third-quarter/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/12/virgin-america-soars-in-its-third-quarter/http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/12/12/virgin-america-soars-in-its-third-quarter/#commentsFiled under: ,

Virgin America has cracked the airline growth code in the U.S. Despite a travel market slump that shows almost no signs of recovering and an industry with perpetual financial and operational woes, the start-up carrier has shown that strong financials don't have to be a dream for the embattled business. Only two years old, and living most of its life in a severe recession, Virgin America has demonstrated that airlines don't have to rely on bailouts.

For the third quarter of 2009, Virgin America posted revenues of $157.9 million, a year-over-year increase of 38.3%, largely because of improved unit costs and record load factors -- the latter improving by 5.2 percentage points to 86.6% from the same quarter the previous year. The increase was possible even with a 36.5% increase in scheduled service capacity. Meanwhile, costs per available seat-mile fell 33.9% -- 24.4% when you take fuel out of the equation. Virgin America was able to add capacity at a rather low marginal cost. Though privately held, the airline is disclosing its financial results ahead of Department of Transportation requirements.

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]]>airline industryairline sectorairlinesDavid CushDepartment of Transportationtraveltravel in the U.S.travel industryTom JohansmeyerSat, 12 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST