What the Finance

General Motors, one of the world’s largest auto manufacturer, faces liquidity problems that could eventually lead the largest US automaker to bankruptcy,

Investment banks and other financial institutions have been bombarding the world with losses reports for the past several months. Having lost account of the amount of losses incurred since the rise of the subprime mortgage crisis.
I am not sure about you, but I was certainly dying to sum it all up and just stand and [...]

Merrill Lynch & Co. posted a $6.5 billion on mortgage writedowns, the third straight quarterly loss. Mother Merrill Lynch, as people who worked there used to call it, announced shortly after that it is cutting around 3,000 jobs. CEO, John Thain, said today he is expecting to face even more difficult months going forward.
Merrill Lynch’s [...]

When the numbers do the talk… see below a list of the most important equity indices from around the world and their year to date percentage change.

AMERICAS
YTD %

Dow Jones
-10.75%

S&P 500
-12.53%

NASDAQ
-17.24%

Mexico Bolsa
-3.58%

Brazil Bovespa
-5.03%

EUROPE-AFRICA-MIDDLE EAST

DJ EU Stoxx 50
-19.44%

FTSE 100
-12.76%

AMSTERDAM EXCHANGES
-17.03%

OMX Stockholm 30
-15.42%

Swiss Market
-16.85%

ASIA-PACIFIC

Nikkei 225
-18.13%

Hang Seng
-18.36%

S&P/ASX 200
-18.29%

Growth is weakening everywhere, but most in US. The dollar fell to a record low against the euro and the weakest in almost three years versus the yen.

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. the second largest US home improvement chain, announced a sharp fall in 4th quarter profits. Larry Stone, its veteran CFO, said the retailer

Wal-Mart has announced 4th quarter figures better and higher than expected. Sales per store increased by 1.7% and gross margin improved by

Cadbury announced full year 2007 results that were more or less in line with analysts’ expectations. Revenue income increased to £7.97 billion, a 7% increase year over year. However, operating profit decreased by 2%, and now stands at £788 million, affected negatively mainly by currencies.
For 2008, Cadbury expects its Confectionary business to have organic sales [...]

Below is a list of U.S. companies, whose stock price are having unusual price changes.
Select Comfort Corp. (SCSS US) plunged 21%, or $1.49, and now stands at $5.66. The maker of Sleep Number adjustable beds forecast a further profit decline in 2008 with sales unchanged to “slightly” lower.
Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO US) dropped 3% or [...]

Despite the media’s effort to reassure the consumers that the crisis is under control - if not almost over -, Greek newspaper report that the Greek stock market announced losses of €45 billions in the first three weeks of the year only! And the turmoil continues…