Anti-China syndrome
What if a Chinese company moved to buy Chrysler? The motivation is there, as Fortune's Alex Taylor notes (link below), but can you imagination the howls from Capitol Hill and the country at large? Communists in control of the maker of Jeeps and Dodge Rams? Lee Iacocca would never fit in a Mao suit! But money talks and if the Germans want to sell ... who's to stop them? Sure, you'd get some people arguing national security. Hard to make that case stick in pick-ups, though. You know, it'd be kind of interesting to watch the Chinese deal with hardcore U.S. labor unions and cut-throat car selling competition.
Fortune on Chrysler Illegal credit
A credit card for illegal immigrants. You've got to be kidding me. Providing goods and services to someone who is here illegally, who is ostensibly breaking the law, isn't that aiding and abetting a crime? Way to go, Bank of "America" -- a bank that also happens to outsource jobs to India, by the way. I used to think being an American citizen was special. Now I'm beginning to think the only thing "special" is that I get to pay taxes that other folks avoid. I know, I'm jumping on the Tucker soap box here ... but Jeez Louise this is getting ridiculous. Build the Wall. Now.
Credit card for illegals What a Mother (Nature)
Those who reveled in the warm winter and what it was doing for oil prices are getting a rude reminder about what winter is all about. But while oil prices are going up, they aren't going as high as you'd expect, even though Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members are muttering about keeping current production levels capped. Why not? I suspect there is not as much hot speculation money rolling into the market. Makes sense when you think about all the once-burned speculators in the fall. And with the weather as wacky as it is, by the time you establish a promising long position in oil, springtime could be here. Better to look at ethanol and hope for a strong driving season peppered with political "alternative energy" rhetoric.
Foxy business
So Fox is on the verge of launching its business channel. Gee, Tucker and I have some experience with that! Well, if it finally happens (it's been over two years they've been talking about it after all), it is an odd time. Lots of people are saying the market is near the end of a bull cycle. Generally it's the beginning of a bull cycle that gets people interested in business news. So the business base, investors seeking news and info about the market, isn't likely to grow. Mr. Murdoch apparently aims to take it out of CNBC's hide by being more business-friendly. I doubt if the network will take it lying down. It'll be interesting to watch who can out cheer lead the other. Am I web-worried about this? No.
Fox to run Dell's bells
If I was a top manager at Dell, I'd be ticked off. Michael Dell is canceling bonuses. Sure, you'll get a raise, but if you were doing any personal finance planning tied to that end of year bonus, this last minute move stinks. You can understand why Dell wants to do it though. His company is flagging and he needs to shake it up. He is also cutting down his direct reports in hopes of eliminating some company bureaucracy. Such moves always get applauded, after all, who likes bureaucracy. But you still need to be cognizant of why the bureaucracy developed in the first place ... sometimes after a clean out you find that a department did have a reason to exist after all.
Dell shake up Big honkin' money
Mo' money, mo'money, mo'money ... they are doing that comedy number over at the oil companies these days. Both ExxonMobil and Shell put up big earnings numbers this morning. Exxon set the biggest profit in corporate history. All this even though oil prices are coming down. Ah, if we'd only bought the stock a year ago. Question is, will the gains be extended? In addition to price drops, the regulatory environment is likely to harden with a Democratic congress and Detroit's environmental push seems to be gathering steam. Still, those profits just seem to be rolling in.
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