Media Digest 2/3/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

Reuters:   Volcker believes that banks should not be allowed to make risky trades.

Reuters:   Toyota (NYSE:TM) sales dropped after its recall announcements.

Reuters:   More US consumers are paying credit cards before mortgages.

Reuters:   Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) has approved $4 billion in bonuses.

Reuters:   Murdoch of News Corp (NYSE:NWS) has threatened the Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) $9.99 e-book pricing  plan and may withdraw his publishers from the program.

WSJ:   US regulators accused Toyota of dragging its feet on recalls.

WSJ:   AIG (NYSE:AIG) will move ahead with bonuses after employees agreed to lower amounts.

WSJ:   Obama is setting up more programs to help small business.

WSJ:   Textbook companies are setting up e-book readers with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) for the iPad.

WSJ:   Democrats will release a $80 billion jobs package.

WSJ:   US home ownership rates fell.

WSJ:   Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) faces criticisms of the style of clothes it markets as sales fall.

WSJ:   Home building companies are cutting prices.

WSJ:   VW hopes to unseat Toyota as the world’s largest car maker.

WSJ:   The outlook for hiring is still weak.

WSJ:   Genetic technology from firms like Monsanto is helping to increase the share of corn that farmers plant.

WSJ:   Visa (NYSE:V) and MasterCard (NYSE:MA) did well enough during the recession that they are expanding.

WSJ:   Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) will cut the ratio of pay to its bankers.

NYT:   By June, 5.1 million people will own a home with 75% or less than their mortgage.

NYT:   The Japanese government ordered Toyota to look into break problems with new versions of the Prius

NYT:   Honda raised its forecasts for the year.

NYT:   Fidelity cut its trading fees for discount broker customers.

FT:   Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) plans to add 2,000 more brokers.

FT:   “Avatar” drove a higher forecast by News Corp.

Bloomberg:   Toyota’s electronics may be the cause of accelerator problems.

Bloomberg:   Bank of America will pay investment bankers an average of $400,000 in bonuses.

Douglas A. McIntyre