Countdown to the close: 59 min 59 sec

INVESTOR ALERT
Wall Street pans U.S. 'public-private' rescue bid

February 15 2009 8:11 A.M. EST

Stocks get back to business
As Congress heads home and the trading week is shortened by holiday, Wall Street will turn attention back to basics: earnings from Wal-Mart and HP plus economic data.
• Minyanville duo juices portfolios

WASHINGTON
Stimulus deal OK'd
Just three Republicans vote with the majorities passing $787 billion package. Many provisions will be slow to kick in.
• Highlights of the sweeping legislation
 • Bankers face strict new pay caps
• Effects of stimulus won't be instantaneous

 
Latest News more » Top Stories more » Market Pulse more » Headlines more » Press Releases more »

  • 2:30 a.m.

    [PFD] William Hill, Premier Foods plan rights issues: UK Telegraph

  • 2:25 a.m.

    [CC.] UK's Clinton Cards chain in talks to revamp debt: UK Times

  • 2:22 a.m.

    [ITV] ITV may sell social-network site Friends Reunited: Telegraph

  • 2:22 a.m.

    [ITV] UK's ITV may cut at least 500, or 10%, of jobs: UK Telegraph

  • 2:18 a.m.

    [RBS] RBoS to sell parts of ABN Amro from '07 deal: UK Times

  • 2:18 a.m.

    [RBS] RBoS to exit operations in some emerging countries: UK Times

  • 2:18 a.m.

    [RBS] RBoS to post losses of near $43B: UK Times

  • 2:18 a.m.

    [RBS] Royal Bank of Scotland may cut up to 20K more jobs: UK Times

  • 2:09 a.m.

    [LLOY] Lloyds investors may demand board changes: UK Telegraph

  • 2:09 a.m.

    [LLOY] UK gov't reverses plan to pay Lloyds Bank bonuses: UK Times

  • 2:09 a.m.

    [LLOY] Lloyds Bank directors barred from receiving bonus: UK Times

  • 10:47 p.m.

    Congress sends stimulus bill to Obama for signature

  • 10:47 p.m.

    Senate approves $787 billion stimulus bill, 60-38

  • 7:00 p.m.

    [WFT] Diamond Offshore to replace Weatherford in S&P 500

  • 6:47 p.m.

    [T] AT&T Technical to pay $8.2 mln false claims settlement

  • 6:15 p.m.

    Riverside Bank of Cape Coral, Fla. fails, 11th of 2009

  • 5:45 p.m.

    Sherman County Bank of Neb. closed, 10th closure in 2009

  • 5:01 p.m.

    [AMZN] S&P raises Amazon.com by two notches to investment grade

  • 4:48 p.m.

    [FNM] Fannie Mae extends moratorium on foreclosure sales

  • 4:48 p.m.

    [FNM] Freddie Mac extends moratorium on foreclosure sales

 
Today inside MarketWatch
   IN TAX GUIDE

TAXWATCH
 Stimulating work

Taxpayers should plan ahead to take advantage of breaks in stimulus bill.

Also in Tax Time:
 • Stimulus bill slashes breaks, perks
• Get numbers crunched in February
• Why 1099s are tardy in 2009
 • Choosing the best online tax servicer
• Best tax-prep software
•  Full coverage of tax issues

   IN MULTIMEDIA
TRAVEL
Rick Steves travels below radar
Author, TV host and PBS fund raiser talks about travel's less obvious benefits.

Also in Multimedia:
 • Willie Nelson comes full circle
• Solar panels for ex-cons

   IN COMMENTARY
SECOND OPINION
 Microsoft to try again with stores

John Dvorak is sort of an aficionado of the form in the computer industry.

Also in Commentary:
 • Friedman to NPR chief: Wait, wait, tell me
• Kostigen says protectionism won't work
 • Weidner wants rapid action in D.C.

  IN NEWSLETTERS
mark Hulbert
 P/E ratio making
a comeback

Believe it or not, the stock market's P/E ratio has risen in recent months.
• Also coming back: 1930s market guru Audio

Also in Newsletters:
• Brimelow looks at the starry side

  PERSONAL FINANCE
CHUCK JAFFE
Watch those
active traders

A fund that replaces its holdings about every six weeks has returns worthy of a Stupid Investment of the Week.

Also in Personal Finance:
 • Realty: Keeping it in the family
• Openshaw's bargains off the rack
 • Farewell to eight years of stock gains
• Fishing for dirt on Facebook? Think first

AUTO REVIEW
2009 Ford F-150 Supercrew
Ron Amadon says this truck is the strong, silent type.
• See slideshow

BANKRUPTCY ISSUES
 Trump Entertainment: Third time unlucky?
Bondholders may force casino firm into Chapter 11, which would prompt its third trip to bankruptcy court, Journal reports
• TV-station operator Young Broadcasting files Chapter 11
• Peanut Corp. of America files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy

retail and consumer
Wal-Mart expected to post lower profit...
World's biggest retailer could disappoint by reporting lower profit Tuesday, hurt by higher expenses and a stronger dollar.
• ...But it wins a rehearing of a ruling in sex-discrimination case
• PepsiCo net income tumbles 43%, warns of tough 2009

AUTOMAKERS
Report: GM will say, 'more aid or bankruptcy'
Wall Street Journal report says GM is expected to say it'll need more federal aid or it'll be forced to file for bankruptcy.
• GM readies required quarterly update for Treasury Department
 • Toyota lowering boom in North America
 • European car market shrinks 27% | Stocks to watch

CAREERS
Do you love your job?
Or, do you just love still having your job? Annual survey shows more employees are willing to stay wedded to their work.
• 8 rules for keeping office romances in bounds
 • Valentine's Day Index (Minyanville)

BANKING CRISIS
FDIC seizes four banks
Florida, Illinois, Oregon and Nebraska bank closures make 13 failures this year. | Weak banks may have to be nationalized
• Tax measure to help sale of toxic assets
• Stocks close with weekly losses

BARRON'S COVER STORY ... FREE
 A prescription for success
Abbott Labs appears to have discovered the secret of healthy living in an otherwise sickly industry.

media
Why satellite moguls are tuning in
Ergen of Dish and Malone of Liberty are in negotiations to acquire Sirius XM, which is weighed down by a massive debt load. How come?
• Google's sales to federal government apparently are in decline
• Twitter raises $35 million from venture investors

MOBILE
Bruised BlackBerry
Analyst's bearish call on so-called smart phones includes a downgrade for Research In Motion, whose signature product is the BlackBerry.
• MarketWatch Hot Stocks: Research In Motion  
• Somber tone expected at Barcelona Mobile World Congress

WEEKEND INVESTOR
Health care keeps portfolios fit
At a time when stocks are weak across the board, one sector has been strong enough to help mitigate some of the worst losses.
• S&P heading to first quarterly earnings loss

HOUSING
 Banks agree to halt foreclosures
Citigroup and J.P. Morgan Chase say they'll temporarily suspend foreclosures until Treasury plan is finalized. 
 • Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae suspend foreclosure sales
• Program to subsidize mortgage payments in pipeline

TECHNOLOGY
Outlook cloudy at Sun Microsystems
Goldman Sachs adds the server and software maker to "conviction sell" list due to competition and that few customers want its high-end wares.
• Hewlett-Packard to feature software, services, stability
• Microsoft plans to open retail outlets | Apple knockoff (Minyanville)

NEWSROOM ROSTER | CORRECTIONS | CODE OF CONDUCT | FEEDBACK

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