Financial life in a big town

Stocks got a boost Thursday after the release of surprisingly strong U.S. economic data and the overwhelming approval by Germany’s parliament of a bill to strengthen a bailout fund intended to help European countries mired in debt crises.

News that the U.S. economy grew by more than previously thought in the second quarter of the year and a surprisingly large drop in weekly jobless claims drove stocks.

The Commerce Department said the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 1.3 percent in the April-June quarter, up from an estimate of 1 percent made a month ago. The improvement reflected more consumer spending and a bigger boost from trade.

“The quality of the improvement far outweighs the scale of improvement with the U.S. consumer key to future growth,” said Michael Woolfolk, an analyst at The Bank of New York Mellon. “The risk for the third quarter is to the upside, with the outside possibility that it could well come in at the upper end of the 2.0-3.0 percent range.”

Further good news emerged from the Labor Department, which found that jobless claims last week dropped 37,000 to a seasonally adjusted 391,000, the lowest level since April 2. It’s the first time applications have fallen below 400,000 since Aug. 6.

The mood in stock markets had already been largely positive after a clear victory for Chancellor Angela Merkel in a vote on beefing up Europe’s bailout fund. More encouraging for the markets, perhaps, was the fact that Merkel did not have to rely on support from opposition parties.

In the short-term, the markets’ hope is that the vote in favor of an expanded rescue fund _ with 523 lawmakers in favor, 85 against and 3 abstentions _ indicates Germany is fully behind efforts to shore up Europe’s defenses against a crisis that has already seen three countries bailed out and stoked talk that Greece will default.

Germany is the biggest economy among the 17-countries that use the euro currency and has to contribute more than others to boosting the firepower of the bailout fund, the so-called European Financial Stability Facility, or EFSF. If passed, Germany will be guaranteeing loans in the future for up to euro211 billion ($288 billion), rather than euro123 billion so far.

“The overwhelming majority in the Bundestag is a good sign and will hopefully mark a step change in German commitment to bringing the spiraling crisis under control,” said Sony Kapoor, managing director of Re-Define, an economic think-tank.

In Europe, Germany’s DAX was up 1.4 percent at 5,657 while France’s CAC-40 rose 1.5 percent to 3,041. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was underperforming, trading up 0.3 percent to 5,234.

Wall Street was poised for big gains at the open _ Dow futures were up 1.3 percent at 11,115 while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 futures rose by the same rate to 1,163.

The improved appetite for risk on Thursday also helped the euro brush off another survey showing that Europe’s economy was grinding to a halt. When risk appetite is high, the euro usually garners support against the dollar. Following the German vote, it was trading 0.8 percent higher at $1.3646.

In its monthly survey of economic conditions around the 17 countries that use the euro, the EU’s executive arm, the European Commission said confidence fell further in September following the previous month’s precipitous collapse. Its economic sentiment indicator stands at 95, against August’s 98.4, and is below the long-run average. The last time it was lower was in December 2009.

The further decline in confidence is likely to pile the pressure on the European Central Bank to reverse recent course and start cutting interest rates again, if not in October, then in November when Italy’s Mario Draghi will have replaced the current head Jean-Claude Trichet.

Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index swung between gains and losses before finishing up 1 percent to 8,701.23. South Korea’s Kospi index shot up 2.7 percent to 1,769.29. China’s Shanghai Composite Index dropped 1.1 percent to 2,365.34. Markets in Hong Kong were closed due to severe weather.

Oil prices tracked equities higher too _ benchmark crude for November delivery rose 23 cents to $81.44 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

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Sony Corp.’s movie studio has started a spat with theater owners, telling them in a recent letter that it will stop paying for disposable 3-D glasses in U.S. theaters next May. The decision could save it millions of dollars per movie, but consumers might have to pick up the tab.

Sony Pictures said in its letter that theaters could adopt a “guest ownership model” prevalent in Europe and Australia that charges patrons separately for the glasses, which they can re-use on future visits.

RealD Inc., one of the main suppliers of glasses, said a pair in Europe sells for about one euro, or around $1.36 at today’s exchange rate. Most patrons spend more than $3 on popcorn and sodas each, according to major theater chain Regal Entertainment Group, and the average 3-D movie already costs a few dollars more per ticket.

Some designer 3-D glasses cost more than $100 a pair.

The change would come ahead of the release of a couple of Sony’s own 3-D blockbusters next summer, “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “Men in Black III,” although some of Sony’s 3-D movies, including “Arthur Christmas,” come out before then.

Sony Pictures spokesman Steve Elzer said in a statement, “there are constructive ways to deal with the cost of 3-D glasses that will not adversely impact consumers, and can also help the environment.” He called on theater owners to come to the table to work out the issue.

Usually, such negotiations happen behind closed doors. In this case, Sony going public with its new policy didn’t sit well with theater owners. The nation’s largest cinema trade group, the National Association of Theatre Owners, said the unilateral policy change was “insensitive” to consumers in a weak economy.

Regal Entertainment Group on Wednesday threatened to cut the number of screens showing 3-D films if the move means it or its patrons will have to pay more.

“To the extent that Sony seeks to change the current model in a manner that shifts costs to exhibitors, we would be forced to evaluate this new economic model and program our screens accordingly,” said Regal CEO Amy Miles in a statement.

Theater association president John Fithian said Sony’s decision upends a six-year old practice of splitting the costs of the rollout of digital 3-D screens across the country high risk personal loans.

While movie studios have paid for 3-D glasses and the cost of digital projectors and equipment _ expecting to save on film printing costs in the future _ theaters have paid for 3-D add-on technology and labor costs.

The squabble comes amid changes in the movie business that have hurt studios’ profits. People are buying fewer DVDs and aren’t paying enough for Blu-ray discs, on-demand movie downloads, or online subscriptions to make up for the loss. Studios are trying to cut costs through layoffs and even smaller movie budgets.

Fithian said the belt-tightening shouldn’t result in passing the buck to theater owners or moviegoers. “It is nonsensical to say theater owners and our patrons should be paying for their mistakes in the home market,” he said.

It remains to be seen if other studios will follow Sony’s lead and stop paying for the glasses. Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Bros. said it was sticking with its arrangements with theaters for now.

“We are evaluating the situation,” said Chris Aronson, senior vice president of domestic distribution for News Corp.’s 20th Century Fox.

Representatives from Viacom Inc.’s Paramount, Comcast Corp.’s Universal and The Walt Disney Co. did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

One immediate result of the announced change was that RealD shares plunged $1.80, or 14.7 percent, to close at $10.42 in trading Wednesday. RealD supplies technology for about 90 percent of the 3-D screens in the U.S. and is a major supplier of the glasses, which made up about 40 percent of its revenue in the most recent quarter.

RealD spokesman Rick Heineman said the company is fine with any new model, including one in which consumers pay. He compared that system to buying headphones on an airplane. The core profit of the company comes through licensing its technology, he said.

Sony shares rose 12 cents to close at $19.34.

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Tropical Storm Philippe is heading northwest with little change in strength and the storm is still far from land.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Philippe had maximum sustained winds of about 50 mph (80 kph) on Tuesday. No significant change in strength is expected over the next two days.

In the Pacific, Hurricane Hilary is gradually weakening and has maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph). The storm is expected to turn toward the west-northwest. Hilary doesn’t pose any immediate threat to Mexico’s coast.

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Russia’s finance minister has said he will step down rather than serve under Dmitry Medvedev if the president becomes prime minister next year as planned.

Alexei Kudrin has been finance minister since 2000 and his conservative fiscal policies are widely credited with helping Russia weather the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.

He is close to Vladimir Putin, the current prime minister, who Saturday announced his intention to return to the presidency next year. Putin said he would then name Medvedev prime minister.

Kudrin told reporters from Russia’s state news agencies in Washington later Saturday that he would not serve in Medvedev’s government because of disagreements over economic policy.

He specifically cited Medvedev’s plans to increase military spending.

“I do not see myself in the new government, and it is not just that I have not been offered the job,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. “I think that those differences of opinion that I have will not allow me to join the government.”

During Putin’s presidency from 2000 to 2008, Kudrin stashed some of the revenue from Russia’s oil exports in a stabilization fund cash advance loan no fax. In doing so, he had faced strong opposition from other government ministers who wanted the money for expenditures, but when the financial crisis hit and oil prices fell, those savings proved crucial in reducing the blow.

Medvedev’s spokeswoman, Natalya Timakova, said it was too soon to discuss the composition of the next government.

“President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin proceed from the understanding that all federal officials are continuing to perform their duties at their place of work,” she was quoted by state news agencies as saying. “If someone has other ideas, they should be ready to change their place of work.”

Putin’s spokesman said Kudrin has never hidden his disagreements with Putin or Medvedev on economic policies.

“He is a professional economist,” Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying. “He is an economist with a capital letter.”

Kudrin, 50, had been mentioned as a possible prime minister under Putin if he returned to the presidency.

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Asian stocks faced sharp losses early Friday following a precipitous session of trading of Wall Street sparked by fears that a global recession may already be under way.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 2.3 percent to 17,493.07, a day after tumbling nearly 5 percent. South Korea’s Kospi plunged 4.8 percent at 1,713.56.

Australia’s S&P ASX 200 fell 1.4 percent to 3,909.5. Markets in Japan were closed for a public holiday.

Investors headed for the exits Thursday as they gave in to fears that a global recession was already under way. Selling started in Asia, picked up speed in Europe and sent Wall Street near its worst finish of the year.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 3.5 percent to close at 10,733.83. It was the second consecutive rout in the stock market since Wednesday afternoon, when the Federal Reserve announced a change in strategy for fighting the economic slowdown _ a bid to lower long-term interest rates and get people and companies to spend more money.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index, a broader measure of the stock market, and the Nasdaq composite, which is more heavily weighted with technology stocks, both fell more than 3 percent for the day.

Economic news was bad around the world. A closely watched survey in Europe indicated a recession could be on the way there, and a manufacturing survey suggested a slowdown in China, which has been one of the hottest economies.

Volatility has been exacerbated by investors who find themselves outside their “comfort zones,” according to Sean Darby, equity strategist at Jeffries Hong Kong Ltd.

“The low incidence of sovereign defaults and banking crises until 2008 created a false sense of security amongst investors that this was the ‘norm’. In reality, the global economy tends to experience long periods where countries are in default,” Darby wrote in a report.

The Fed announced Wednesday that it would shuffle $400 billion of its own holdings in hopes of reducing interest rates on long-term loans, a plan known as Operation Twist. The central bank hopes that if people and businesses are able to borrow money more cheaply, they will spend throughout the economy and give it a lift.

Still, the Fed announcement troubled investors because it came with a bleak assessment of the future. The Fed said it sees “significant downside risks to the economic outlook,” including volatility in overseas markets.

Asian stocks were hammered to start the world’s trading. The Nikkei index in Japan fell 2.1 percent. The main stock averages fell 2.8 percent in China, 2.9 percent in South Korea, 2.6 percent in Australia and almost 5 percent in Hong Kong.

Europe fared even worse. The stock market fell 5.3 percent in France, 5 percent in Germany and 4.7 percent in Britain.

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Tens of thousands of shoes

CLAYTON

Stocks cut the day’s steep losses by nearly half after Greece’s finance minister said a conference call with debt inspectors was “productive and substantive.” That gave investors some hope that Europe can contain its debt woes.

Pessimism about European debt sent stocks sharply lower Monday, ending a five-day winning streak for financial markets. On Friday, European finance ministers said they would delay authorizing an installment of emergency funds for Greece payday loans guaranteed no fax.

At the closing bell, The Dow Jones industrial average is down 108 points, or 0.9 percent, at 11,401. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index is down 12, or 1 percent, at 1,204. The Nasdaq composite is down 9, or 0.4 percent, at 2,612.

About six stocks fell for every one that rose. Trading was light, at 3.7 billion shares.

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Retail sales in August may have been flat, but for one day this week, there was a spending spree going on reminiscent of Black Friday.

Yes, I’m talking about the Missoni for Target line. Many folks were baffled by the fuss over a bunch of dresses with zigzags. But devotees who love the Italian fashion house swamped Target stores around the country.

In case you haven’t heard, Target unveiled a limited-edition Missoni line in its stores and online on Tuesday. The regular stuff sells in the range of several hundred dollars to thousands of dollars at the likes of Neiman Marcus.

Anyway, Missoni lovers were so zealous to get a hold of Missoni dresses at prices such as $54.99 that many stores sold out of their inventory within hours. And the Target website was so overwhelmed that it crashed for several hours on Tuesday.

Niky Roberts, who works in public relations in St. Louis, was one of the lucky ducks to nab some Missoni. She was in Springfield, Mo., on business, so she went straight to a Target there after she was done with work. The store had been mostly cleaned out by then, but upon the suggestion of a fellow shopper, she checked out the children’s section, where she found an extra-large sweater.

“It fit like a glove,” she said proudly. “I am a Missoni fan, but I do not have a Missoni budget. So this was a nice way to own a Missoni piece.”

I called around to some local Target stores on Friday afternoon, and many of then said they still had a couple of Missoni odds and ends left

U.S. stocks alternated between gains and losses Friday after European finance ministers pushed back a decision about how to solve the region’s debt crisis.

Blackberry maker Research in Motion Ltd. lost one-fifth of its value after reporting sharply lower revenue and income. The company is facing stiff competition from Apple Inc.’s iPhone and phones that use Google Inc.’s Android software.

At 11:17 a.m. Eastern time, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 5 points to 11,439. It had been up as many as 99 points earlier.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost 1, or 0.1 percent, to 1,208. The Nasdaq composite index rose 2, or 0.1 percent, to 2,609.

Traders are waiting for news from a gathering of European finance ministers. The group is meeting in Poland to discuss a debt crisis that threatens to engulf several countries. They are joined by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who helped craft the response to the 2008 financial crisis.

The group will not decide until next month whether Greece has qualified for its next round of bailout money, its leader said early Friday. Geithner had urged his counterparts to provide a decisive solution to the crisis.

European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet is expected to speak after European markets close, around midday in New York.

Analysts said some stock-sellers were pocketing profits after a week that lifted shares nearly 5 percent. Antony Conroy, head trader for BNY ConvergEx Group, said traders’ sentiment is mixed, with some buying undervalued stocks and others selling on long-term concerns about Europe.

“Even though we’ve had a good couple of days, people still believe there’s a good chance that the credit crisis in Europe is going to cause something like a 2008 event,” he said.

Stocks rose every day this week, their first four-day winning streak since August. The rally lifted the Dow and the S&P by about 5 percent. The Dow is still down 1 percent for the month, the S&P 0.3 percent.

Research in Motion said after the market closed Thursday that it lost ground against competitors in the three months ended Aug. 27. The company sold far fewer tablets and phones, struggling in a category dominated by the iPhone and iPad.

The troubled company has lost more than half of its market value this year. RIM said July that it would lay off 2,000 workers, about 10 percent of its work force.

Stocks have not risen for five days in a row since the week ending July 1, before nervousness about the sluggish economy and Europe sent shares falling.

Markets surged on Thursday after five central banks said they would offer unlimited dollar loans to the European banks. Some banks have been unable to borrow to pay for their daily operations. They can’t get loans from other banks because no one knows how much bad debt they hold.

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