Description: After four months of gains, home prices flattened in October. Worse yet, industry insiders think that they’ll soon start to fall. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: 01/01/2010 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/31/real_estate/home_price_drop/index.htm Questions for discussion: Summarize the reasons given for house prices heading lower. How do you think homebuyers will respond to this news? Explain your answer. How do… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Economic Challenges Facing Contemporary Business (p66)
Google CEO: Small biz key to recovery
Description:  After the White House jobs summit, Eric Schmidt explains small biz needs increased lending to stimulate economy. Source: CNNMoney – video report  Date: 12/03/2009 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2009/12/03/n.schmidt.jobs.google.obama.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Why are small businesses key to the recovery? Why are they having difficulty? Summarize the reasons that explain why Google is growing more than… Read more »
Panama remakes its famous canal for giant ships
Description: One of the world’s greatest engineering marvels is being overhauled as work crews blast through hills to widen and deepen the Panama Canal to make room for a new generation of mega-ships. Source: Reuters.com Date: 11/18/2009 Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSN1834602520091118 Questions for discussion: Summarize the economic value of this project to local as well as international… Read more »
McDonald’s: 1,000 new restaurants in 2010
Description: Fast food giant plans to increase sales by 5% and invest $2.4 billion to enhance its brand. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: 11/13/2009 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/12/news/companies/McDonalds/index.htm Questions for discussion: What do these plans at McDonald’s suggest to you about management’s sense of its future? Explain your thinking.  Do you believe McDonald’s will find more growth outside of… Read more »
Stop the ‘jobless recovery’ madness!
Description: An economy that isn’t creating employment opportunities simply isn’t doing its job. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: 11/06/2009 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/06/news/economy/jobless.recovery.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009110614 Questions for discussion: Summarize the concern for economic recovery that was expressed in this report. Why is it so critical that employment start improving? What do you believe would cause businesses to increase hiring? Explain your… Read more »
Buffett buying Burlington rail in his biggest deal
Description: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc will pay $26 billion to buy out Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp in a bet the nation’s largest rail company will benefit from a recovering U.S. economy. Source: Reuters.com Date: 11/03/2009 Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5A22A720091103 Questions for discussion: Do you think this investment will turn out to be a good one… Read more »
Home-Price Index of 20 U.S. Cities Up for Third Month
Description: A gauge of home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose in August for a third consecutive month, bolstering the case that an economic recovery is at hand. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 10/27/2009 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aBvc2corjATg Questions for discussion: Summarize the ideas expressed in this article relating home sales to the economy. Explain why home prices and… Read more »
Wal-Mart vs. Amazon: Fight is on for book sales
Description: The world’s largest retailer launches a price war against the Web’s premier bookseller as the crucial holiday sales period looms. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: 10/16/2009 Keys: Marketing (p387), Economy (p66) Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/16/news/companies/walmart_amazon_books/index.htm?postversion=2009101617 Questions for discussion: Who do you think will win this battle for customers? Explain your answer. Why is price so important in this… Read more »
New highs, but now a big test.
Description: Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Google, IBM and Intel are among the heavy-hitters due to open their books, giving the rally its first big challenge in weeks. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: 10/11/2009 Keys: Finance (p558), Economy (p66) Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/11/markets/sunday_lookahead/index.htm?postversion=2009101107 Questions for discussion: Explain why financial information released this week by these firms will likely influence… Read more »
Want a job on Wall Street? Good luck.
Description: Job cuts in the financial world are expected to persist for some time. But there are bright spots for MBAs, bond traders and investment bankers. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: 10/03/2009 Keys: HR (p286), Economy (p66) Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/30/news/companies/wall_street_jobs/index.htm?postversion=2009100320 Questions for discussion: Are there any differences in the hiring and firing practices of Wall Street HR departments… Read more »
