June 2008

In an unusual disclosure, Yahoo sent a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission that had details of a its company intranet  posting for employees on its internal Web site about its controversial severance plan it put in place less than two weeks after Microsoft's bid for the company in January.The new severance plan could cost an acquirer up to $2.4 bn. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn now ... read more

Hunt Petroleum, the oil and gas producer owned by the Hunt oil family of Dallas, Texas, has sold itself to XTO Energy (XTO) for $4.2 bn in stock. An historic sale, to be sure, as the deal combines one of the largest US oil and gas players, with properties in 12 states, with one of the country's oldest oil dynasties founded by H.L. Hunt, a company that owns properties in the Gulf of Mexico, ... read more

Solar bulls are on a tear, given oil's remorseless march towards $150, along with global efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions and reliance on oil. But the solar bulls could get burned if they're not smart about the sector. Many of these companies are swamped in red ink, with their stocks trading at stratospheric multiples, making them highly speculative and volatile. That's why the number of ... read more

Usually you'll see disclosures in filings from retail chains or restaurant chains hurt by an economic down turn that consumers are staying away to save money due to high fuel costs or increasing inflation eating into their discretionary income.But for one restaurant chain, those problems are not the only reason behind its challenging times. Brinker International (EAT), which runs "casual ... read more

As expected, Lehman Brothers pre-announced its results today, reporting a $2.8 bn loss, or a loss of $5.14 a share for the second quarter ended May 31, 2008. The stock is trending down in trading, as Wall Street's smallest investment firm has expressed its dismay at its mounting losses. We reported to you last week that the firm would not disclose its full results until the week of July 16th, ... read more