Blackberry has posed a string of surprises in recent quarters. Less than a year ago, many were predicting their demise, citing their lackluster product lineup, and failure to compete in the consumer space with behemoths like Apple and Samsung. Despite the uphill battle, the once star performer continues to outperform expectations. Blackberry was once a ubiquitous device, part of the arsenal of virtually every executive in the country. But, as the critics say, they failed to innovate. They stagnated,... 

Ford (NYSE: F) results are coming in, and signs are pointing to improvement in the North American automotive sector. While the firm is facing some headwinds associated with rising costs, improvements in the pricing and market share have enabled the profit margin to continue to grow. The US auto industry is returning positive feedback for the first time in years. Chrysler vehicles have won numerous awards for their impressive styling updates, while GM has experienced a renaissance with their return... 

General Motors (NYSE: GM) is heading into car show season with an increased focus on muscle – literally. The muscle cars that made GM famous have returned, and preliminary rave reviews have buyers eagerly lining up. Between the Corvette’s new Stingray model, the Camaro Super Sport, and the Cadillac CTS V, GM is reigning in the accolades faster than anyone could have expected. The automaker was bankrupt just a few years ago, selling bland cars with a tremendous line that failed to strike consumers.... 

While unemployment continues to plague the country in certain areas, it seems that Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) faces a different problem altogether – not enough workers. According to Bloomberg research by Renee Dudley, Wal-Mart doesn’t have enough bodies to restock the shelves, according to interviews with store workers. In the past five years, the world’s largest retailer added 455 U.S. Wal-Mart stores, a 13 percent increase, according to filings and the company’s website. In the same period, its... 

Despite the challengers, Nike (NYSE: NKE) still remains king of the athletic apparel market. Following the better-than-expected bottom-line results for third quarter fiscal 2013, the shares of global sport equipment and apparel retailer, Nike Inc. soared to a new 52-week high of $60.25 on Friday, Mar 22. The company closed trading at $59.53 on Mar 22, representing a solid return of 11.1% from the closing price of $53.90 on Mar 21, and gained about 15.3% year-to-date. Average volume of shares traded... 

Macy’s (NYSE: M) struggled during the fourth quarter, but that has largely been overlooked due to the recent volatility of J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP). J.C. Penney fell nearly 5% at the open this morning before bouncing back somewhat, down about 2% as of 3:25 p.m. EDT after yet another Wall Street analyst cut its views on the ailing retailer. BMO Capital Markets lowered its call on the stock from “market perform” to “underperform” and slashed its price target on the stock from... 

The days for the Opel may be numbered. The Opel brand, part of General Motors (NYSE: GM) has been struggling to rebound from the financial crisis, as falling sales have sapped its profitability and caused GM to explore alternative plans for the brand. It seems the plans aimed at saving or reviving the brand have faltered. Employees at the luxury car making unit have rejected its turnaround deal to save the struggling European unit. The failure of the deal means that the plant will be closed down... 

Apple (NASD: AAPL) is heading into dangerous territory – the firm recently regarded as an innovation factory has failed to release remarkably new products in years. Despite the success of the I-Pad and I-Phone, their effect on the firm’s bottom line is beginning to diminish. We cannot overlook that in the past decade, the firm has been in unprecedented territory, creating device after device of new technology that consumers eagerly bought, no matter what the price. Many market observers now worry... 

Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) founder Richard Schulze was shown the door of the company he started less than a year ago, but with a failed leveraged buyout attempt now behind him, he is returning to the firm he built in a newly established Chairman Emeritus position.  Along with him, he is bringing back Brad Anderson, the former Chief Executive who led the firm during it’s golden age a decade ago. Schulze spent the winter mulling a leveraged buyout of Best Buy after his unceremonious departure from the... 

Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is no stranger to controversy, especially when it involved labor unions. Lately though, grocery worker unions have been targeting the store, causing disruptive rallies the retail giant seeks to curtail through litigation. Wal-Mart has a long and complicated history when it comes to unions. Despite the prevalence of unions in many states over the years, Wal-Mart has largely been able to keep them at bay, avoiding their intrusion into the firm and avoiding the costs associated... 

  Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) faces a problem few retailers do – their products sell out so quickly, restocking the shelves in a timely manner is hampering sales.   Wal-Mart was once regarded as the king of logistics, a pioneer in the industry using RFID technology to track and manage inventory, and avoiding stock out conditions that sap sales and anger customers. As more customers flock to Wal-Mart though, the current pipeline isn’t keeping up with the demand.   We run out quickly and... 

The retail sector is suffering, as evidenced by the poor shopper turnout in the fourth quarter holiday season. As shoppers continue to hoard cash and avoid the malls, sales and profits at firms like JC Penney (NYSE: JCP), Sears (NASD: SHLD), and Macy’s (NYSE: M) have disappointed. In reflecting on the recently reporting results, there are a few key areas to observe.   The loss leader in the industry undoubtedly falls to JC Penney, whose performance and actions has confounded consumers. For... 

J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) is either on the brink of an epic turnaround, or might very well be facing it’s final days. The retailer has struggled to reinvent itself under Chief Executive Rob Johnson. Johnson, the former Apple executive brought into JCP to turn around the brand, has sought to reinvigorate the franchise by replacing it’s rather dull perception with a more youthful cutting edge approach. Thus far, the results have fallen flat. New pricing, fully refreshed stores designed to be a destination... 

Pharmaceutical maker Merck (NYSE: MRK) has declared its inaugural quarterly dividend of 2013, keeping it in line with its previous payout. For its Q2, the company is to hand out $0.43 per share of its common stock on April 5 to shareholders of record as of March 15, matching the disbursement from mid-December. Previously, the company paid $0.42 per share. Merck has a strong track record of paying dividends, although it rarely adjusts its payout. From September 2004 to September 2011, the company... 

Chipmaker Intel (NASD: INTC) has announced plans to invest $152 million in Brazil over the next five years in research and development, the chip manufacturer said on Wednesday.The investment in Brazil is a strategic initiative for the Brazilian government, which has announced lofty plans aimed at increasing the country’s software output. The investment will be twofold, targeting both increased headcount and resources internally, while also partnering with academic institutions in Brazil to fund... 

Apple (NASD: AAPL) fans are in unfamiliar territory, watching the stock price fall, while innovation seems to have stalled at the firm. While the sea may seem calm for now, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has promised more breakthrough products are on the way. During the company’s annual meeting at its Cupertino headquarters, Cook told shareholders  ”The company is working as hard as ever, and we have some great stuff coming.” While Cook retained the firm’s typical secretive nature... 

Internet search giant Google (NASD: GOOG) has some explaining to do on the issue of privacy. Regulators around the world have been uncomfortable with some of the firm’s practices for years, and the latest in the ongoing saga comes from the European Union. The firm will have to appear before a group of EU data-privacy watchdogs as part of a probe that may lead to what the regulators called coordinated “repressive action” after it failed to fix flaws in its privacy policy. Throughout the course... 

Apple (NASD: AAPL), which has largely been given a rubber stamp of approval on everything it has done for the past decade, has been faltering in recent months. Consumers seem to be growing wary of minor modifications on existing products, and are thirsty for new products. Even though sales and profits remain high, without a game changing new product, there is a real risk in the firm’s stock price right now. Perhaps this is why famed investor Richard Einhorn and many others are calling for a dividend,... 

General Motors (NYSE: GM) likes what it sees when it comes to the growing demand for the hybrid Chevy Volt. In 2013, the firm is planning to build 36,000 of the plug in hybrids, nearly 20% growth over 2012. The Detroit based auto giant is planning to build 1,500 to 3,000 of the fuel- efficient vehicles a month, said the people, who didn’t want to be identified because the target isn’t public. According to Jim Cain, a company spokesman, GM sold about 30,000 Volt and similar Opel Ampera cars globally... 

Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) has been sued by five Wisconsin, claiming the company has denied them and other female employees equal pay and equal opportunities. The lawsuit, alleging unfair pay practices contingent on gender, is the latest in a slew of suits targeting the hiring and pay practices of the firm. Jim Kaster of the Minneapolis-based Nichols Kaster PLLP, and a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement announcing the filing that “Women at Wal-Mart were told by management that women deserved... 

Despite solid earnings results across the tech industry, shares in Facebook (NASD: FB) and Apple (NASD: AAPL) are down – yet Amazon (NASD: AMZN) is up. Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos has long been an anomaly in terms of tech strategy -he is known to pressure executives and innovators to write essays and to be thoughtful and comprehensive when taking the podium at his strategy meetings. His approach is decidedly academic, more so than classic business. The approach Bezos has taken has long been... 

The grocery industry is changing, and one of the largest benefactors of that is discount retail giant Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) as they are expanding rapidly in the space. Wal-Mart has successfully capitalized on its reach, pitching groceries to their shoppers, and is quickly becoming an important part of the firm’s success. Ten years ago the grocery strategy was a novelty for the firm, but as time passes it is of growing importance. The nation’s largest retailer adapted to fit the needs of its... 

Blackberry maker Research in Motion (NASD: RIMM) was widely speculated to be on the brink of bankruptcy just months ago. Market observers were writing their obituary, ascribing the once great firm to failure, after losing market share to Apple and Android, putting cash flows of its once cash cow Blackberry product into doubt. Now, it appears the tales of their demise have been greatly exaggerated. A new generation of more versatile BlackBerry smartphones is finally about to hit the market after excruciating... 

When the US auto industry contracted following the 2008 financial crisis, the Detroit economy was shook to its core. Rising unemployment rates and vacancy rates in and around the Paris of the Midwest sent shockwaves through the local economy, leaving many pundits to declare Detroit dead. Five years later, the city is continuing to rebound, and the increased presence of big auto is helping the city rebound from the previously unthinkable doldrums it faced during the recession. General Motors Co (NYSE:... 

It began as a mixed day for the Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F). Although the firm managed to handily beat the fourth quarter earnings expectations by disclosing results earlier today, their glum outlook for 2013 caused investors to retreat. A rather concerning interpretation of the results shows that while North America remains a strong, profitable market for Ford, Ford’s international markets are expected to post another combined loss in 2013. By noon today, shares Ford Motor Co. fell 1.4 percent...