business - "short"

Upcoming US economic data is expected to be relatively optimistic on Monday, though they will fall short of suggesting that conditions in the US are truly...

Upcoming US economic data is expected to be relatively optimistic on Monday, though they will fall short of suggesting that conditions in the US are truly improving.

Bear Stearns, facing a grave liquidity crisis, reached out to JPMorgan on Friday for a short-term financial lifeline and now faces the prospect of the end of its 85-year run as an independent investment bank.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission said Friday it will allow municipal bond issuers to submit bids in auctions of their own securities without incurring charges of market manipulation. The guidelines are designed to help municipal bond issuers get out of the auction-rate market, where several auctions have failed because of a lack of buyers, and rates have shot up. In a letter to the bond industry's main trade group, the SEC said municipal issuers could submit a bid in an auction for such securities as long as they follow certain disclosure rules. A conduit borrower also may submit a bid in an auction for municipal auction-rate securities that are payable from amounts due it. market pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

AP - Consumer inflation, after pushing relentlessly higher, posted its mildest reading in six months in February thanks to energy and food costs moderating. The relief, however, was expected to be short-lived, given that energy prices have resumed their upward climb.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Fitch Ratings late Friday said it took Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. off Watch Negative and affirmed its issuer default rating at B-. The outlook on the rating is negative. 'The ratings and outlook reflect the difficult U.S. housing environment, current and expected negative trends in HOV's operating margins and meaningful deterioration in credit metrics, especially interest coverage and debt/EBITDA ratios,' said the rating agency in a statement. market pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Standard & Poor's said late Friday it lowered the corporate credit rating on Darden Restaurants Inc. to BBB from BBB+. S&P said they removed the company's ratings from a review for further possible downgrades. The agency affirmed Darden's A-2 short term rating, and said the company's outlook is stable. 'The downgrade reflects the deterioration in Darden's core businesses, Red Lobster and Olive Garden, due to weak fundamentals in the casual-dining sector and rising commodity costs,' said Diane Shand, an S&P credit analyst, in a statement.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.

These are some stocks that have been tagged by users over at StockTickr:CAH: CARDINAL HEALTH INC Outlook: Short Industry: Drugs Wholesale New low on 3.12 times average volume: 8,200,803 vs. 2,628,470(tags: short, New Low on Huge Volume)ASPM: ASPECT MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC Outlook: Short Industry: Medical Appliances Equip New low on 23.34 times average volume: 3,384,889 vs. 145,000(tags: short, New Low on [...]

Short funds can protect portfolios in down markets, but they're not for everyone.

Bear Stearns today warned wall street that it was not certain it would survive after admitting that both JP Morgan and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York provided the investment bank with emergency short term funding.