June 2009

Will a warming political relationship with the Middle East translate into more dollars for American companies in the region?   That is the question Fox Business will try to answer this week as we broadcast from all over Cairo. The President is giving a major policy speech in the Egyptian city on Thursday, June 4th and we are here.  Wednesday and Thursday we are going to bring you interviews ... read more

Today kicks off our special "Opportunity in the Middle East" special series. I'll be live in Cairo all day, speaking with executives from leading American companies and discussing the big business opportunities in Egypt and around the Middle East.    There are hundreds of millions of still-untapped consumers in the region.   Egypt alone has as many people as California, Texas and ... read more

Here are some pictures I took around Cairo this week.    Most of the shots were captured from a moving van, as we were usually on our way to or from a new location and interview ... but it goes to show much of the increased American company presence in the area and the western-style building boom happening outside the city. American style condos with Century 21 as selling agent read more

After much time on the road (San Diego, Cairo) I'm back to a normal reading schedule ... here's what's on my radar today: Yikes (below) Courtesy: Haver Analytics via The Big Picture Fox Biz exclusive: regulators say more stress tests may be needed SCOTUS puts Chrysler deal on hold ... does it have more TARP implications? Saving?   Hardly ... as household debt-to-net worth ratio ... read more

The government just announced it is "allowing" 10 banks to repay $68 billion in TARP funds.   It was also noted that the banks involved have paid approximately $4.5 billion in dividends on the preferred shares to date.  This will no doubt be spun in Washington as "the taxpayer is being repaid" to the tune of $72.5 billion bucks and we should all be happy. In 2007 there were about 139 million ... read more

Bus tours of GM and Chrysler execs' homes?   Angry marches through the bucolic neighborhoods of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan? Let's hope not.   But one wonders if GM will end up getting  any of the same treatment so far reserved for AIG... given that it's entirely possible the bankrupt car company could replace the insurance company as the taxpayers' biggest debtor. Consider ... read more

Try starting your work day like this (looks like he did it on purpose, doesn't it?) Courtesy: Failblog Stories I'm reading this Wednesday: On again, off again Chrysler / Fiat deal is on again Michigan workers try to reinvent themselves Stocks set to rise on positive economic data out of China Home Depot also helps the market by raising its ... read more

Steven Strasburg's retirement is set before he throws his first big league pitch. Yesterday the lowly Washington Nationals selected San Diego State pitcher Steven Strasburg with the first pick in the baseball draft. There is no doubt to Strasburg's talent.   The kid has got a gun of an arm.   But you have to wonder about the wisdom of the pick on a ... read more

Stories I'm reading this Thursday: California nearing financial meltdown But is California too big to fail? Retail sales actually rose a bit last month People who bought homes in the last 5 years not only overpaid but now also will miss out on what could be a $15,000 tax credit But will it even matter with higher interest rates? Laffer says get ready for even ... read more

Oh!  What a tangled web we weave ... Here are some of what I believe to be the key points in the series of emails going back and forth among Fed officials regarding the Bank of America / Merrill Lynch deal. Though the emails are incomplete and a bit confusing, I have put them in chronological order to better detail the progression of events. While a bit convoluted, the bits selected and ... read more