Media Digest 3/21/2010 Reuters, WSJ, NYTimes, FT, Bloomberg

Reuters:   Peabody Energy made a bid for Australia’s Macarthur Coal.

Reuters:   Some Yahoo! (YHOO )email accounts were hacked in China and Taiwan.

Reuters:   Japan export orders hit a six-year high.

Reuters:   OPEC is undecided on what it will do if oil moves from $70 to $80.

Reuters:   Exxon Mobil (XOM) says that XTO will not help its earnings for years.

Reuters:   The Fed’s Fisher says the US recovery in on solid ground.

WSJ:   The government will shut down facilities which have driven one of the great bond rallies which has helped investors put money into risky offerings.

WSJ:   An insider trading charge against a Deutsche Bank employee will test the limits of the SEC’s powers.

WSJ:   BP (BP) will make investment that could revive the Iraq oil industry.

WSJ:   AT&T (T) is trying to improve its 3G network as Verizon (VZ) is likely to sell the Apple (AAPL) iPhone.

WSJ:   Redwood Trust is trying to offer bond backed by mortgages and without federal help.

WSJ:   Google (GOOG) says it ran into China’s “great firewall.”

WSJ:   The Bank of Ireland will raise money to shore up its financials.

WSJ:   Toyota (TM) is building its quality effort.

WSJ:   Bharti will buy Zain for $9 billion.

WSJ:   The launch of the Apple (AAPL) iPad will keep software developers focused on the App store.

WSJ:   Obama will open the Gulf to more oil drilling.

WSJ:   China will launch a trial plan for short selling and buying on margin.

WSJ:   Commercial real estate prices are making a modest comeback.

WSJ:   BHP-Billiton (BHP) replaced year-long ore prices deals with ones of shorter duration.

WSJ:   Nissan’s electric car will sell for about $32,000.

WSJ:   Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) got an offer for its breast cancer unit.

WSJ:   Intel (INTC) launched a new chip for big servers.

WSJ:   McDonald’s (MCD) will double its stores in China to 2000 by 2013.

NYT:   The use of cholesterol drugs in healthy people may have risks.

NYT:   Oil prices are high enough to help exploration but low enough to help the economy.

NYT:   Biotech stocks were hurt by a court decision invalidating two gene patents.

NYT:   Ford (F) is gaining ground is Asia by selling smaller cars.

NYT:   Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOG) and other large internet companies are trying to keep information they have private from the federal government.

NYT:   The cost of Greek bonds was effected by fears that its deficit crisis is not over.

NYT:   Yahoo! (YHOO) is hiring journalists to offer more original content.

NYT:   Volcker is optimistic about financial reform this year.

FT:   Banks will take advantage for new iron ore trading rules that could raise swaps to $200  billion by 2020 from $300 million this year..

FT:   The Primerica spin-off could net Citigroup (C) $250 million.

FT:   China was invited to join the International Energy Agency

FT:   The head of Kraft (KFT) got a 41% pay increase.

Bloomberg: Ireland’s banks will need $43 billion in new capital.

Bloomberg:   Greece may have to pay $17 billion more interest compared to German bond levels if rates had stayed at pre-crisis levels.

Bloomberg:   Google (GOOG) is being hurt by lower growth, regulatory scrutiny, and shifts in ad spending.

Douglas A. McIntyre