Just months after Whole Foods raised prices on certain items after an initial Amazon-pushed lowering, Bezos & Co. are planning cuts on “hundreds of items” as early as this week in an effort to “change the chain’s high-cost...more
4/2/2019
/ Amazon Marketplace ,
Barclays ,
China ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Direct Listing ,
Dow Jones ,
EU ,
EURIBOR ,
Facebook ,
Flash Crash ,
Grocery Stores ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Lyft ,
Mark Zuckerberg ,
NYSE ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities Violations ,
Slack ,
Software ,
Spoofing ,
Trade Relations ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
Whole Foods
Monsanto’s (and, in turn, Bayer AG’s) terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day in court over its Roundup products’ links to cancer continued yesterday, as a jury awarded $80 million to the California man who it had already...more
3/28/2019
/ Bonds ,
Business Valuations ,
Cancer ,
Class Action ,
EU ,
Fannie Mae ,
Federal Reserve ,
Freddie Mac ,
Health Insurance ,
Huawei ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Interest Rate Adjustments ,
Investment Banks ,
Lyft ,
Market Manipulation ,
McDonalds ,
Medicaid ,
Medicare ,
Minimum Wage ,
Money Laundering ,
Monsanto ,
Pesticides ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Startups ,
Telecommunications ,
Theresa May ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure ,
UK Brexit ,
Unicorns ,
Wage and Hour
Facebook revealed yesterday that “millions of user account passwords had been stored insecurely, potentially allowing employees to gain access to people’s accounts without their knowledge.” The company said it “had found no...more
3/22/2019
/ Amazon Marketplace ,
Banks ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Budweiser ,
Dilution ,
EU ,
Facebook ,
False Advertising ,
Fashion Industry ,
FDIC ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Levi Strauss ,
Mortgages ,
No-Deal Brexit ,
Right to Privacy ,
RMBS ,
Startups ,
Theresa May ,
Trademarks ,
Unicorns ,
Wal-Mart
The US and China have scheduled two more rounds of high-level trade talks with hopes for an agreement between the economic superpowers by late April, even as China has begun to push back against some of the US’s major...more
3/20/2019
/ Airplane Accidents ,
Android ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Bank of New York (BNY) Mellon ,
Bayer ,
Boeing ,
Cancer ,
China ,
Citibank ,
Contempt ,
Corporate Liability ,
E-Commerce ,
Elon Musk ,
EU ,
Facebook ,
Fair Housing Act (FHA) ,
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ,
Federal Reserve ,
Foreign Trade Regulations ,
Google ,
Instagram ,
Loans ,
Market Manipulation ,
Mobile Apps ,
Monsanto ,
Mortgages ,
OCC ,
Online Advertisements ,
Race Discrimination ,
Search Engines ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Securitization ,
Settlement Agreements ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Smartphones ,
Tesla ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Web Browsers
Jobs Report Friday! Here’s what to watch as you’re sorting through the numbers this morning....more
3/8/2019
/ AirBnB ,
China ,
Class Action ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Disney World ,
Economic Development ,
EU ,
European Central Bank ,
Financial Crisis ,
Foreign Trade Regulations ,
Hedge Funds ,
Job Creation ,
Libor ,
Martin Shkreli ,
Opioid ,
OxyContin ,
Payday Loans ,
Purdue Pharma ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Star Wars ,
UBS ,
Unemployment
Some continuing reaction to the potential end to the trade war between the US and China, through the lens of a Delaware lighting store [NYTimes] and US businesses far more broadly, who are grappling with the question of what...more
3/6/2019
/ Barclays ,
Board of Directors ,
China ,
Credit Default Swaps ,
Deutsche Bank ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Forex ,
Goldman Sachs ,
Hedge Funds ,
Imports ,
Insider Trading ,
JPMorgan Chase ,
Money Laundering ,
Papa John's International ,
Securities Fraud ,
Stock Options ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
As many expected, the US economy slowed in Q4 2018, growing at a 2.6% annual rate in the final three months of last year. That figure was better than some forecasters thought, but it still marks a “significant slowdown” from...more
3/1/2019
/ Amazon Marketplace ,
Audits ,
Beer ,
Breweries ,
Business Profits ,
China ,
Credit Ratings ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Economic Development ,
Elon Musk ,
EU ,
Facebook ,
Fashion Industry ,
Gap Inc ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Ireland ,
KPMG ,
PCAOB ,
PG&E ,
Retail Market ,
Safety Standards ,
Tariffs ,
Tesla ,
Trade Wars ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
US Trade Policies ,
Wildfires
US trade negotiations with China have stalled such that the anticipated meeting between the countries’ leaders is, according the White House, “highly unlikely” to occur before the March 1 deadline marking the end of a 90-day...more
2/8/2019
/ Aircraft ,
Airlines ,
Amazon Marketplace ,
Aviation Industry ,
Blackmail ,
BSA/AML ,
China ,
Danske Bank ,
Depositions ,
Estonia ,
EU ,
Extortion ,
Financial Crimes ,
FRCP 30(b)(6) ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Internal Controls ,
Jeff Bezos ,
Money Laundering ,
On-Demand Services ,
Publishers ,
Renault-Nissan ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
UK Brexit ,
US Trade Policies ,
Witness Preparation
Regional lenders BB&T and SunTrust have announced plans to “unite in an all-stock deal” that would value the combined bank at $66 billion. The new lender would be the sixth-largest in the US, and, if allowed, would be created...more
2/7/2019
/ Ability-to-Repay ,
Alstom ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Browser History Sniffing ,
Chipotle Grill ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Data Collection ,
EU ,
Facebook ,
Farm & Fisherman Bankruptcies ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Germany ,
International Trade Disputes ,
Investment Funds ,
Music Streaming ,
Payday Loans ,
Podcasts ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Siemens ,
Smartphones ,
SoftBank ,
Sovereign Wealth Funds ,
Spotify ,
SunTrust ,
Tariffs ,
Video Games
Once again, it’s Jobs Report Friday. Here’s some things to keep in mind as you review the numbers...more
2/1/2019
/ Amazon Marketplace ,
Apple ,
Automotive Industry ,
Banks ,
Cartels ,
China ,
Cloud Computing ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
EU ,
Facebook ,
Government Bonds ,
Huawei ,
Interest Rate Adjustments ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Job Creation ,
Mobile Apps ,
No-Deal Brexit ,
Smartphones ,
T-Mobile ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
Trade Secrets ,
Trump Administration ,
Unemployment ,
US Trade Policies
The Fed wrapped its January meetings yesterday with the expected news that it would leave the benchmark interest rate unchanged and the less-guaranteed report that it was hitting the pause button on future rate hikes (aka,...more
1/31/2019
/ Activist Investors ,
Alphabet Company ,
Apple ,
China ,
Commerzbank ,
Data Collection ,
Deutsche Bank ,
Diversity ,
EU ,
Facebook ,
Federal Reserve ,
GDP ,
General Elections ,
Global Market ,
Google ,
Interest Rates ,
Internal Controls ,
KPMG ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Scams ,
Takeovers ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
UK Brexit
US banks are reporting that cases of financial abuse of seniors are on the rise. Treasury department data showed a 2-fold increase in suspected cases from just 5 years ago and a 12% increase from just a year ago....more
1/25/2019
/ Airlines ,
Airports ,
BuzzFeed ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Deutsche Bank ,
Elder Issues ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Central Bank ,
Fannie Mae ,
Federal Budget ,
Federal Funding ,
Financial Fraud ,
Freddie Mac ,
Government Shutdown ,
Layoffs ,
Mortgages ,
Renault-Nissan ,
Spoofing ,
Spyware ,
Trump Administration ,
Unemployment ,
US-Mexico Border Wall ,
Vulnerable Victims ,
White Collar Crimes ,
Wire Fraud
The European Union has fined Mastercard $650 million for “breaching antitrust rules by raising payment-processing fees artificially, leading to higher prices for retailers and consumers” alike. The penalty came after a 6-year...more
1/23/2019
/ Antitrust Violations ,
CFTC ,
China ,
Danske Bank ,
Deutsche Bank ,
Espionage ,
EU ,
False Billing ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Budget ,
Federal Funding ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Markets ,
Forex ,
Government Shutdown ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Housing Market ,
Huawei ,
Internet of Things ,
MasterCard ,
Money Laundering ,
Payment Processors ,
Smart Devices ,
Trump Administration ,
US-Mexico Border Wall ,
Walgreens
Ford announced yesterday that it plans to cut “thousands of jobs across Europe” as the automaker tries to cut costs while dealing with more stringent emissions rules and decreasing demand. The company didn’t say officially...more
1/11/2019
/ Chrysler ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU ,
Fiat ,
Financial Markets ,
Ford Motor ,
HSBC ,
Huawei ,
Junk Bonds ,
Layoff Notices ,
PF Chang's ,
Poland ,
Sears ,
Wall Street
A quick spin through the Fed’s December minutes shows that most Fed officials are set on slowing their previously regular rate hike schedule, only reinforcing the message that Fed Chair Powell delivered last week that the...more
1/10/2019
/ BlackRock ,
China ,
Danske Bank ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Federal Budget ,
Google ,
Government Shutdown ,
Imports ,
Interest Rate Adjustments ,
Money Laundering ,
Right to Be Forgotten ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration ,
UK Brexit ,
US Trade Policies ,
Wall Street
I wish I had some better news for you heading into Christmas, but Wall Street was not in the holiday spirit, with all major indices diving another 2% or so on Thursday....more
12/21/2018
/ Bonds ,
China ,
CIGNA ,
Credit Suisse ,
Data Breach ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Deutsche Bank ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Reporting ,
HSBC ,
Huawei ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Japan ,
Living Will ,
Market Manipulation ,
Merrill Lynch ,
Nissan ,
Securities Violations ,
Standard Chartered Bank ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
On second thought, Wall Street does have some questions about the specifics of the pause in the trade war that apparently emerged from the G-20 sidelines this weekend. And when Wall Street has questions—well, not a banner...more
12/5/2018
/ Amazon Marketplace ,
Antitrust Violations ,
AOL ,
Automotive Industry ,
Benchmarks ,
Class Action ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
COPPA ,
E-Commerce ,
EU ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Services Industry ,
France ,
G20 ,
Gas Taxes ,
Germany ,
Higher Education Act ,
Imports ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
MasterCard ,
Navient ,
Online Advertisements ,
Preemption ,
Protests ,
Student Loans ,
Takeda Pharmaceuticals ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
Transaction Fees ,
U.S. Treasury ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
US Trade Policies ,
USPS ,
Verizon ,
Wall Street ,
Yahoo!
A no-deal Brexit wouldn’t merely be a disaster for PM May’s government. It would wreak definite havoc on UK-based companies (and those that do big business there). Here’s what they’re sweating at the moment....more
11/16/2018
/ Amazon Marketplace ,
Bitcoin ,
Citibank ,
Derivative Suit ,
E-Cigarettes ,
Elon Musk ,
EU ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
HSBC ,
Interest Rates ,
JPMorgan Chase ,
No-Deal Brexit ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
SIBOR ,
SpaceX ,
Tesla ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
Wells Fargo ,
Withdrawal Agreement
Early reports suggested that although Teresa May’s cabinet wasn’t thrilled, it backed the PM’s Brexit plan, leaving the controversial deal to make its way to Parliament. But the resignation of two Cabinet members—including...more
11/15/2018
/ Anti-Fraud Provisions ,
Berkshire Hathaway ,
Class Action ,
Consolidated Audit Trail ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Disclosure ,
Economic Downturn ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Facebook ,
Failure to Comply ,
Germany ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Instagram ,
JPMorgan Chase ,
Levi Strauss ,
Market Manipulation ,
Money Transfer ,
Preferred Shares ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations ,
Snapchat ,
Social Media ,
Stock Prices ,
Uber ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
British and EU negotiators have reached a draft Brexit deal that PM May now needs to sell to her “deeply divided” cabinet. Not that her challenges would end there, mind you, as any deal would then face a skeptical Parliament...more
11/14/2018
/ Alphabet Company ,
Driverless Cars ,
E-Cigarettes ,
EU ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Forex ,
HSBC ,
Layoffs ,
Office Space ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retail Market ,
Sharing Economy ,
SoftBank ,
Starbucks ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
Wells Fargo
Saudi Arabia is pushing OPEC and its allies to cut oil production in 2019, and it’s doing its own part by exporting 500,000 fewer barrels a day in December than now—all an attempt to “counter the price rout battering the...more
11/12/2018
/ #MeToo ,
Alibaba ,
Arbitration ,
China ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
EU ,
Exploration and Production Assets ,
Facebook ,
Financial Crisis ,
France ,
Goldman Sachs ,
Italy ,
Netflix ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Retail Market ,
RMBS ,
Sears ,
Securities Violations ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Social Media ,
Tax Evasion ,
Tax Liability ,
UBS ,
Waivers ,
Wells Fargo ,
White Collar Crimes
Mr. Buffett and his Berkshire crew just dropped nearly a billion on its own stock, a likely sign, according to analysts, of a “dearth of appealing investment options” for the company’s “large cash pile”....more
11/5/2018
/ Amazon Marketplace ,
Barclays ,
Berkshire Hathaway ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Economic Development ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Equity ,
EU ,
European Banking Authority (EBA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Insider Trading ,
Job Creation ,
Lloyds Banking Group ,
Penalties ,
Real Estate Development ,
Saudi Arabia ,
Share Buybacks ,
Soda Tax ,
SoftBank ,
Stress Tests ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wage and Hour ,
Warren Buffett
More on yesterday’s news of a split power-generation division at GE, including why fixing the ailing business is such an important task for new CEO Larry Culp and what federal criminal and civil accounting probes mean for the...more
10/31/2018
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) ,
China ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Economic Development ,
EU ,
Foreign Currency ,
General Electric ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Investment Fraud ,
Kickbacks ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pyramid Schemes ,
Sanctions ,
Spoofing ,
UK Brexit ,
Valeant
Markets around the world took a beating yesterday amidst concerns about steel tariffs and other rising commodity costs, an economic slowdown in China, and brewing trouble in the EU. US stocks rallied by the end of the day to...more
10/24/2018
/ American Express ,
Budgets ,
Capital One ,
China ,
Class Action ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Commodities ,
Data Breach ,
EU ,
Financial Markets ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Foreign Exchanges ,
Italy ,
Money Laundering ,
OCC ,
Sears ,
Steel Industry ,
Strict Compliance ,
Tariffs ,
Yahoo!
We’ve been keeping tabs on the high-profile CEOs who have withdrawn from Saudi Arabia’s coming investment conference over the past few weeks. But pulling out the conference is very different from severing ties with the...more
10/22/2018
/ Appeals ,
Bank of America ,
CashCall ,
CBS ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Elon Musk ,
EU ,
Facebook ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Foreign Investment ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Interest Rates ,
Italy ,
Moody's ,
Mortgage Escrow Account ,
National Bank Act ,
Newspapers ,
Payday Loans ,
Petition for Writ of Certiorari ,
Preemption ,
Procter & Gamble ,
Quarterly Report ,
Recessions ,
Saudi Arabia ,
Singapore ,
Social Media ,
Tesla ,
White Collar Crimes