Lou Gutheil

American International Group (NYSE:AIG) announced today that it is planning to sell up to nearly 25% of its stake in the AIA Group Ltd.  AIG will sell up to $2 billion USD in shares to raise funds for “general corporate purposes.”  Its share price is holding strong above $34.50 per share and could easily reach […]

British Banks have not lost their way, as some suppose.  They have re-defined their way.  And Martin Wheatley knows it.  The Managing Director of the Financial Services Authority, and future CEO of the newly created Financial Conduct Authority, served notice that commissions paid to bank employees for the selling of financial products and services will […]

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) shares rose 1.77% to $15.28 on Wall Street today as news broke about its increased investment in Zhaoheng Hydropower, a Chinese renewable energy-focused power company.  Perhaps Morgan Stanley is trying to find an investment that will draw attention away from its Facebook IPO fiasco. Zhaoheng Hydropower Along with Fountainvest Partners, a Chinese […]

Campbell’s (NYSE:CPB), a member of the S&P 500, released its fourth quarter and full year results this morning, reporting a 27% increase in earnings during the final quarter.  Its share price rose marginally to $36.89 in early trading, continuing its 12% growth for the year.  If the price holds throughout the day, it will be […]

AIM newcomer Eland Oil and Gas (LSE:ELA) floated its new shares today, opening at 100 pence.  The price was 110.00 during the noon hour on a volume of 2,081,196 shares after having reached as much as 115.00 during morning trading. Ready to Go after IPO Expecting to raise some £118 million based on the placing […]

The iconic, former king of American retail has suffered yet another embarrassment as it struggles to reshape itself and survive.  It was announced yesterday that Sears (NASDAQ:SHLD) would be dropped from the S&P 500 as of Tuesday, September 4th. Some Good Things Never Last In the 1960’s Sears was the place America shopped.  Sears had […]

The Hertz Global Holdings car rental group’s (NYSE:HTZ) acquisition of the Dollar Thrifty Group (NYSE:DTG) has the potential to shake up the US car rental business with its underlying strategy, if it gains regulatory approval and if it can manage its debt load.  DTG shares rose 7.5% to $87.08 yesterday setting a new five-year high […]

Navistar (NYSE:NAV), the truck and diesel engine manufacturing giant and holding company asked for the resignation of CEO Dan Ustian in an effort to regain a vestige of investor confidence in the company that has faltered so dramatically in the past two years.  The share price closed today at $23.32, up a slight 0.34 cents […]

It’s been three months since shareholders demanded the head of former Aviva (LSE:AV.) CEO, David Moss, on a platter.  He escaped with his head still attached.  Chairman John McFarlane has guided Aviva through the last quarter relatively unscathed amidst shareholder-welcomed talks and efforts at restructuring and streamlining the FTSE 100 insurer’s business.  Aviva’s share price […]

Quadrise Fuels International (LSE:QFI) has been having quite a week.  Today hasn’t been so bad either.  At 9:00 am its share price had skyrocketed by 72.5% over yesterday’s close of 5.88 pence, and 113.6% over one week ago, when it was trading at 4.75 pence.  Having reached 10.145 pence, it tapered off to 8.89 pence […]