Research firm Comscore (NASDAQ: SCOR) released its top 50 websites, based on unique visitors, for the month of June. The data offered few surprises, except for the rise of Twitter, which now has as many monthly visitors as professional social network LinkedIn (NYSE: LNKD). Twitter’s uniques were 41.1 million to LinkedIn’s 39.6 million. The sites at the top of the list remained unchanged. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) sites, which includes YouTube had 189.3 million visitors. Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) sites had 167.2 million, another sign that new management has the scale to make the company a success. Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) had 166.1 million unique visitors, followed by Facebook (NASDAQ: FB), the troubled social network, at 159.8 million. AOL (NYSE: AOL) sites were in fifth place with 114 million uniques, which includes traffic to the Huffington Post.
Home Prices Hit Bottom
Real estate research firm Zillow (NASDAQ: Z) reports that home prices have stabilized, based on data from the second quarter. This is the latest evidence that the sickening drop that began in 2006 may be over, at least in some markets. The company release said:
Home values in the United States have reached a bottom. The Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) rose on an annual basis for the first time since 2007, increasing 0.2 percent year-over-year to $149,300, according to Zillow’s second quarter Real Estate Market Reports. Values have risen for four consecutive months.
In addition:
Nearly one-third of metros, or 53 of the 167 covered by the Real Estate Market Reports, posted annual increases in home values.
Among the markets with the strongest improvements were those that have suffered the most during the housing recession. Prices in Phoenix were up 12.1% over last year’s quarter. Prices in Miami-Fort Lauderdale were up 6.4%. But, some battered markets continue to lose ground. Compared to the same quarter of last year, prices in Las Vegas were off by 2% and in Sacramento off by 2.1%.
Germany Defends Its Safe Haven Status
Germany reacted to Moody’s decision to put a negative watch on the nation’s Aaa-rated sovereign debt. In essence, the government said it can maintain a wall between its economy and the balance of the eurozone, which does not seem likely given recent data about the status of its financial health. Part of the reaction, according to Bloomberg, was:
“Germany will, through solid economic and financial policy, defend its ‘safe haven’ status and continue to responsibly maintain its anchor role in the euro zone,” the ministry said in an e-mailed statement. “Together with its partners, it will do everything to overcome the sovereign debt crisis as rapidly as possible.”
The nation does have the advantage, which it shares with the United States, that global capital markets investors have run out of places to invest. Even with a recession in sight, German and American debt appear attractive.
Douglas A. McIntyre
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