Global stocks were mostly higher for the week as European leaders agreed on a plan to reduce Greece's debt burden and U.S. legislators appeared to be heading toward a deficit-reduction deal. Numerous positive earnings announcements further supported the markets as financial and technology heavyweights reported better-than-expected results.
U.S. and global economic news
European leaders agreed to aid package for Greece
European leaders on Thursday agreed on a plan to reduce Greece's debt burden in an effort to prevent contagion to other weak economies in the eurozone. The overall size of the bailout package to cover Greece's financial gap is 109 billion and will include the participation of the International Monetary Fund and the private sector. The plan also cuts interest rates on bailout loans to Greece and doubles the repayment period to 15 years. Officials said the interest rates on Ireland's and Portugal's bailout loans will be cut to the same low level. European leaders also agreed on new steps to prevent the spread of Greece's debt problems. In the wake of the debt deal, Fitch Ratings said the role of the private sector in the Greek bailout plan would constitute a "restrictive default." In other words, the proposed debt exchange implies a 20% net present value loss for banks and Greek government debt holders.
U.S. lawmakers continue debate over deficit reduction deal
In the United States, Congress and the White House continued negotiations to cement a deal to increase the government's borrowing authority while cutting spending and overhauling the tax code. The White House has said if the government's $14.29 trillion debt ceiling is not raised by August 2, the United States will run out of cash to pay its bills. Standard & Poor's repeated a warning that there is a 50% chance that it will lower the U.S. credit rating within three months. The company first warned of this possibility on July 14.
Weekly U.S. jobless claims rise
U.S. jobless claims unexpectedly rose last week after declining for two weeks in a row. Claims increased by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 418,000, after declining for two weeks in a row. The four-week moving average of new claims, considered a more reliable indicator of the performance of the labor market, fell last week by 2,750 to 421,250. Economists consider the economy to be adding more jobs than it is shedding when the weekly claims number falls below 400,000.
German business confidence falls
German business confidence fell more than expected in July, according to the Ifo Institute's business climate index, which dropped to its lowest level in nine months.
U.S. home sales fall
Sales of previously owned homes fell 0.8% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.77 million, the lowest level in seven months, amid weakness in the job market and overall economy. It was the third-straight monthly decline and worse than forecast. Also in June home construction rose to the highest level in five months. Compared with the same month a year earlier, new home construction was up 16.7%; however construction is still below a healthy level, which economists say would be a pace of 1 million to 1.5 million units. In June, that annual level was at 629,000. Meanwhile, the National Association of Home Builders reported that confidence among homebuilders rose in July from June but remained at depressed levels as the housing market continued to struggle.
U.S. leading indicators rise
The Conference Board reported that its index of U.S. leading indicators rose 0.3% in June from a 0.8% increase in May. The gauge measures the outlook for the next three to six months.
U.S. and global corporate news
Morgan Stanley performance surprises investors
Morgan Stanley posted a smaller-than-expected second-quarter loss, which sent the company's stock surging the most in two years. The loss came from a $1.7 billion charge related to the conversion of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group's preferred Morgan Stanley stake. Morgan Stanley posted a 14% gain in trading revenue and was the only major U.S. bank to report a gain in this area. Bank of America reported losses of $8.83 billion in the second quarter as mortgage-related charges outweighed lower credit costs. Goldman Sachs Group's second-quarter profit came in at $1.05 billion, significantly lower than expectations, after market conditions led the firm to reduce risk taking to the lowest levels in five years. Even so, profits rose 77% from $613 million a year ago.
Tech companies report strong profits
Apple's fiscal third-quarter earnings more than doubled, exceeding analysts' expectations, as the company reported surging sales of the iPhone and iPad. Microsoft's profit rose 30% in its fiscal fourth quarter helped by the software and service contracts of its corporate customers. IBM reported an 8% increase in net income as the 100-year-old company got a boost from robust sales of new models of its mainframes. The company also lifted its profit forecast amid buoyant demand for software. Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, reported that its sales rose 21% while net income rose to $2.95 billion from $2.89 billion in the year-earlier quarter. The company also forecast third-quarter sales that exceeded some analysts' estimates. EMC reported a 28% gain in second-quarter earnings as companies increased spending on storage products and software for Internet-based computing, and eBay reported a 25% jump in revenue, while net income fell 31%.
Coke, Johnson & Johnson, and Harley-Davidson announce results
Coca-Cola's second-quarter profit rose 18%. The company got a boost from a bottler acquisition and from strong volume growth overseas. Johnson & Johnson reported a 20% decline in second-quarter profit on costs associated with its exit from its heart-device business and product recalls. Profits, however, exceeded Wall Street expectations. Harley-Davidson, the largest U.S. motorcycle manufacturer, said profit rose after it increased sales in the U.S. market for the first time in almost five years.
Borders to liquidate remaining stores
Borders was forced to liquidate its remaining 399 stores after receiving too few bids in a bankruptcy auction. The company, which employs about 10,700 people, is now expected to go out of business by the end of September.
Zillow raises $69.2 million in IPO
Zillow, the online real estate information service, raised $69.2 million in its initial public offering.
Express Scripts to buy Medco; CNOOC to purchase OPTI Canada
Express Scripts agreed to buy Medco Health Solutions for $29.1 billion in cash and stock. In merging, the companies will form the largest manager of drug prescription services with nearly a third of the market. China's largest offshore-oil producer, CNOOC, agreed to buy bankrupt Canadian oil sands developer OPTI Canada for about $2.1 billion. The agreement comes as China seeks to invest in energy projects amid a global commodities boom. In past deals, Chinese firms have targeted minority stakes in Canadian companies.
Harry Potter movie sales set record
The last of the long-running series of Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, from Time Warner's Warner Bros. Pictures set a sales record for its U.S. opening and took in nearly one half a billion dollars worldwide.back to top
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