Hanbig Global Resource Space

Editor's Choice

• AT&T board lets CEO off hook for bad call

Randall Stephenson’s total pay fell to $22 mln last year from $27 mln in 2010. That’s a light slap given the $4 bln break fee for the badly botched bid for T-Mobile USA. Investors can show their displeasure with directors for failing to hold the boss accountable – and should.

• Alibaba $2.5 bln buyout looks opportunistic

The 46 pct premium founder Jack Ma has offered to take the Chinese e-commerce company private is decent, but the shares are far below former highs. Minority shareholders have few options, but Ma’s wily dealmaking may haunt him if he returns to float his crown jewel, Taobao.

• IMF strategically withdraws from Greek campaign

The agency played a big role in the first bailout of Athens but will provide just 13 bln euros more for the second, enough to service existing loans. With the EU taking greater responsibility for the Greek mess, the IMF may find it easier to build a broader euro-zone firewall.

• Greek deal makes best of a bad job

It would have been better to have bitten the bullet earlier and Athens is still unlikely to pull through without further economic and political shocks. But the debt restructuring cum bailout keeps the pressure on Greece and has probably defused a wider blow-up.

• Apple needs more than a good lawyer in China

A trademark battle is a concern, but more serious are Apple’s falling market share and bad press over factory conditions. A new strategy may be due. Apple needs better distribution, and tighter control of production. Buying a stake in Foxconn, its biggest supplier, might help.

• Happy stock highs belie bonds teetering on edge

With the Dow Jones industrial average crossing the 13,000 level for the first time since before the crisis and Britain’s FTSE 100 index headed toward 6,000, equity investors are smiling. Many may be wondering if the run can be sustained. But debt buyers may face the real danger.

• Deloitte caught in Diamond Foods’ glare

Just a few months ago, the snack food firm’s auditor was publicly shamed by its U.S. regulator for past failings. Diamond’s misstated payments to nut growers call into question other facets of the company’s books. Deloitte could be headed back into the accounting hot seat.

• Higher oil price should burn itself out

Robust demand – created by a reviving U.S. economy, loose money and vigorous Asian buying – is pushing Brent above $120 a barrel. Supply fears may keep trading volatile. But absent a serious dust-up with Iran, higher prices should be mostly self-correcting.

• China’s Ten Kingdoms era has lesson for euro zone

The 10th century division of China into squabbling regimes brought unbalanced trade and rival currency debasements. But then came the unifying Song dynasty, with monetary stability and economic growth. Fragmentation can be more unstable than unity – a lesson for Europe today.

• UPS love letter validates TNT’s earlier break-up

Long-term suitor UPS made a $6.4 bln proposal to the Dutch courier just before Valentine’s day. For now TNT is being rightly coy. And FedEx may yet disrupt the courtship. But clearly TNT’s break from dowdy domestic mail unit PostNL is achieving the desired effect.

• Following in Facebook's footsteps

A series of technology companies, including security software maker Palo Alto Networks, are preparing to go public on the heels of Facebook’s US$5-billion filing, sensing a window of opportunity as the stock market rallies

• Obama urges corporate tax cut

President Barack Obama launched a dialogue with corporate America today over business tax reform, offering his first clear plan to cut the corporate tax rate, with little prospect of it becoming law in an election year

• Microsoft’s war with Google gets nasty with new video

If you had any doubts that these two tech titans really don’t like one another, watch this

• Eurozone on brink of recession

Services sector shrank this month along with manufacturing, tempering a wave of optimism after a new bailout deal for Greece struck this week

• Buffett should 'just write a cheque and shut up'

Outspoken New Jersey Governor says he's tired of hearing about billionaire investor's call for the nation’s wealthiest people to pay more taxes

• Canadians expect to work past 66: survey

Most Canadians expect to work past the age of 66 — and the majority of those workers say it will be because they need to, not because they want to, a new survey suggests

• Rogers hikes dividend, launches $1B buy-back

Rogers Communications Inc. said today it will buy back up to $1-billion in common stock and approved a dividend hike of 11%, a pair of financial moves sure to make the market happy at the open

• Kim Dotcom out on bail, but banned from Internet

Megaupload mastermind was released from prison in New Zealand today, while the U.S. seeks extradition

• Scams keep Canada's securities watchdogs busy

Scams keep Canada's securities watchdogs busy

• Canadian company could lose contract for India's $35 tablet

Canadian company could lose contract for India's $35 tablet