Toll Brothers news stories on Newser

Companies Use Recession to Stomp Hurting Competition

Kevin Spak — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:37:10 CDT

When the recession hit, Bed Bath & Beyond saw an opportunity. Chief competitor Linens ‘n Things was laden with debt, so Bed Bath & Beyond “decided to destroy them,” says one analyst. It matched every Linens’ discount, issued a barrage of coupons in Linens’ key markets, and, sure enough, Linens...

Fed Spurs Rally; Dow Up 120

Nick McMaster — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:14:42 CDT

Stocks surged to gains before and after the Fed’s relatively positive report on the economy, the Wall Street Journal reports. Most investors took the Fed’s decision to end its buying of long-term Treasurys as a sign that the economy is returning to normal. Financials led gains, along with homebuilders, who...

CEOs Took Billions Off the Table Before Bust

Kevin Spak — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:55:00 CST

Investors have lost some $9 trillion since last year’s stock market peak, but at the center of the maelstrom, CEOs of some of the worst-performing companies are sitting pretty. Fifteen financial services and homebuilding CEOs have accumulated more than $100 million each in the past 5 years in cash compensation...

Dow Off 177 on Poor Earnings

Nick McMaster — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:40:46 CST

Stocks declined today as poor earnings reports made investors bearish, the Wall Street Journal reports. Although news of the Fannie/Freddie plan to speed refinancing efforts for distressed homeowners checked midday losses, the Dow dropped 176.58 to close at 8,693.96. The Nasdaq dropped 35.84, settling at 1,...

Bears Reign in Early Trading

Kevin Spak — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:57:25 CST

Stocks were trudging downward again this morning, as investors turned a pessimistic eye towards upcoming earnings reports. The Dow was off 217 points a half-hour into the session, while the Nasdaq and S&P traced 33- and 20-point declines of their own. Those declines mirrored moves overseas, with European benchmarks shedding...

Spending Spree Puts Abu Dhabi Under Spotlight

Kevin Spak — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:23:50 CST

When Abu Dhabi's investment arm poured $7.5 billion into Citigroup, to bail out America's biggest bank, the move didn't escape notice in Washington. The world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund has been flexing its muscle, making increasingly aggressive investments in foreign interests, the New York Times reports. And though there’s...

Nov. Housing Starts Fall 3.7%

Kevin Spak — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:30:46 CST

Housing starts fell less than expected in November, but fall they did, extending the worst housing slump since 1991. Starts fell 3.7% and, according to one analyst, probably won’t turn around until the third quarter of next year. Permits issued, which give a picture of future construction, fell to...

Housing Crash Pushes Home Builder Into Red

Kevin Spak — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 07:49:51 CST

Toll Brothers, the country's largest luxury homebuilder, today reported its first quarterly loss in 21 years, Bloomberg reports, as the housing slump drove away buyers and forced the company to write down land. “Demand has just fallen off the table,” one analyst explains. Toll lost $81.8 million, or $0....

New-Home Sales Grow, Spur Wall St.

Wesley Oliver — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:21:22 CDT

New-home sales grew 2.8% last month, delivering an unexpected bit of good news to investors still reeling from the credit crunch. But the housing market, which had been rebounding in recent months from a slump, will likely show renewed weakness after he mortgage crisis dust settles, Bloomberg reports.