Look for a LinkedIn IPO, but not in the near future. Company co-founder and executive chairman Reid Hoffman has revealed his (and his investors') exit strategy, even if it could take a while to get there. Any social media company IPO would take a while to get off the ground in this market, since companies are being incredibly cautious. So, "not anytime soon" could coincide with a change in market conditions ... but Hoffman stopped well short of that.

At an event in London to celebrate LinkedIn's hitting the 3 million user mark in Britain, Hoffman said about the company's IPO prospects, "Probably at some point a balance will occur when that's the right thing. That will not occur in the near term." Worldwide, LinkedIn has 53 million members.

Continue reading Reid Hoffman: LinkedIn will go public (at some point)

Reid Hoffman: LinkedIn will go public (at some point) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With the credit crunch and the implosion of CIT, the environment for small business financing has been downright hostile. Basically, many owners have given up on things and instead have focused on creative ways to boost cash flows.

So in light of all this, the announcement of the $500 million small-business plan from Goldman Sachs (GS) and Warren Buffett certainly was an eye-opener. Perhaps your business can get a piece of the action?

Well, the details are fairly sketchy. But here's at when we know so far:

Continue reading Entrepreneur's Journal: Want to get a piece of the Buffett/Goldman honeypot?

Entrepreneur's Journal: Want to get a piece of the Buffett/Goldman honeypot? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Goldman Sachs shareholders want less bonuses, more of the profit

Goldman Sachs shareholders want less bonuses, more of the profit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Buffett and Goldman pump $500 million into small businesses

Buffett and Goldman pump $500 million into small businesses originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• UBS Sets Medium-Term Profit Goals
• IPO Watch: Rue21, Dollar General

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: This frustrating new market

Cramer on BloggingStocks: This frustrating new market originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading rue21 tries on an IPO

rue21 tries on an IPO originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dollar General Store (DG) started as a wholesaler in 1939 and then became a retailer in 1955, when the company setup its first store. Since then, the company has grown rapidly. Now, Dollar General is the largest discount retailer in the U.S. -- that is, in terms of the number of stores (which is currently at 8,577).

A few years ago, Dollar General went private, with the backing of KKR, Citi (C), Goldman Sachs (GS), Wellington Management and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. It was at the height of the buyout boom, with a price tag of $7.3 billion. Only $2.8 billion was in equity.

Continue reading Dollar General goes retail on Wall Street

Dollar General goes retail on Wall Street originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The clock is ticking away the time before the year ends and I have only begun to sort out the possibilities. In Part 1 of this series, I discussed breaking up my potential picks into three categories: contender, on the fence, and out of the running until the 10 stocks have been identified.

Four contenders have been considered so far: American Eagle Outfitters (AEO), Anadarko Petroleum (APC), Anglo American ADR (AAUKY) and Diageo plc (DEO).

Six more are included in today's review: EZCorp Inc. (EZPW), General Electric Company (GE), Wells Fargo & Company (WFC), Annaly Capital Management ( NLY), Intuitive Surgical Inc (ISRG) plus Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B). These include the remaining five from 2009 and one more familiar to most investors.

Continue reading Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 2

Chasing Value: Ten stocks for 2010 -- Part 2 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

From TheStreet.com Network

• JPMorgan Plans to Lift Salary Freeze
• Retail Therapy Is Cheaper Than Ever

Continue reading Cramer on BloggingStocks: Investors are rethinking their snap judgments

Cramer on BloggingStocks: Investors are rethinking their snap judgments originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein pulls a Jeff Skilling in an interview

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein pulls a Jeff Skilling in an interview originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The housing bubble and subsequent "Great Recession" have tarnished the stars of a good many of the world's financial wizards, such as the former heads at Lehman Bros. and Merrill Lynch. But one respected image remains -- perhaps unsurprisingly -- on top: Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO at Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A).

That's according to a recent quarterly poll of investors, traders, and analysts who subscribe to Bloomberg terminals, those somewhat cryptic news and data computers that are ubiquitous on Wall Street. Buffett, who received favorable nods from 25% of those participating in the poll, walked away with a plurality of the vote, Bloomberg News reported.

Continue reading Buffett's star shines brightest among world's financial gurus, poll shows

Buffett's star shines brightest among world's financial gurus, poll shows originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A report in Thursday's The Wall Street Journal [subscription required] reveals that American International Group (NYSE: AIG) is actually reaping the benefits of its risky bets in the credit-default swap market.

AIG was forced to shell out billions to Wall Street banks amid last year's credit crisis, as the assets backed by the credit-default swaps plummeted in value. However, the market's reversal of fortune means that banking heavyweights, such as Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS), are now returning collateral to the infamous insurance giant.

Continue reading AIG recoups billions in collateral payments

AIG recoups billions in collateral payments originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've become comfortable with the current state of the housing market ... don't. Economists at Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and Bank of America's Merrill Lynch (NYSE: BAC) say there's still plenty of risk in the housing market.

Alec Phillips, the head of Goldman's Washington office, said, "The risk of renewed home price declines remains significant." His "working assumption" is a drop of between 5% and 10% by the middle of next year.

Continue reading Housing market to dip again next year; Goldman says by 10%

Housing market to dip again next year; Goldman says by 10% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

What has Blackstone (NYSE: BX) been doing with all those theme parks it's been buying? Well, the answer is becoming a bit clearer now. The private equity firm is getting ready to take theme park operator Merlin Entertainments public early next year.

Several investment banks have already been called to advise on the transaction, including Citigroup (NYSE: C), Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS), Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB), UBS (NYSE: UBS), and Nomura (NYSE: NMR). If all goes as planned, the deal could be good for $3.33 billion.

Continue reading Will Blackstone make magic with Merlin?

Will Blackstone make magic with Merlin? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

During the past year, Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) went from near-death to profitability. Yes, Wall Street can be extremely resilient.

In its latest quarterly report, Morgan Stanley posted a profit of $757 million, or $0.38 per share. This was far below the company's results in the same period a year ago, which came to $7.7 billion, or $6.97 per share (keep in mind there was a large one-time gain for this quarter).

Continue reading Morgan Stanley gets a profit and top spot for M&A

Morgan Stanley gets a profit and top spot for M&A originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) higher Q3 earnings topped expectations but revenue was in line.
• Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) posted better-than-expected Q3 results, but shares sold off.
• Allegheny Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ATI) was downgraded on concerns about its Q4 guidance.
• Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) shares fell after it posted a deeper-than-expected quarterly loss.
• Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) fell victim to profit taking despite reporting better-than-expected earnings.
• CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) better-than-expected Q3 earnings sent shares higher, despite a decline in revenue.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: C, GE, GOOG, HOG, INTC, IBM, JNJ, JPM, MAT, NOK ...

Earnings highlights: C, GE, GOOG, HOG, INTC, IBM, JNJ, JPM, MAT, NOK ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I don't think anyone could have had a positive reaction to Bank of America's (NYSE: BAC) third-quarter report, which was released on Friday. According to Bloomberg, management lost $1 billion in the past three months. Big ouch on that one. The financial institution bled 26 cents per diluted share. No earnings beat here, either. Wall Street sent shares down 4.6% by the end of yesterday's trading session.

The year-ago period was a happier time. Back then, Bank of America was rolling in the dough, posting a profit of 15 cents per share. What a difference 12 months makes. Looking at the nine-month record perhaps gives a small amount of comfort to shareholders. The company made 39 cents per diluted share. Of course, that doesn't sit too well next to the $1.09 per diluted share booked in the comparable period. But at least it's not a loss, know what I mean?

Continue reading Bank of America loses a lot of money in Q3

Bank of America loses a lot of money in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Just amazing! Goldman Sachs has set aside $16.8 billion for employee bonuses. This amounts to 43% of net earnings for pay and benefits, and could go as high as $20 billion.

With tongue in cheek, Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) is not faring as well as it did last year when it set aside 50% of net earnings for pay and benefits. Nevertheless, each employee will receive an average of $630,000, rivaling its 2007 record!

Continue reading Goldman Sachs sets aside $16.8 billion for bonuses

Goldman Sachs sets aside $16.8 billion for bonuses originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Serious Money: Dow 10,000 is meaningless

Serious Money: Dow 10,000 is meaningless originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After months of speculation and years of underperformance, the New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT) has decided not to sell the Boston Globe and related businesses. The company claims that the changes made at the Globe to slash expenses and right the ship financially have made it worth holding on to the newspaper. This comes after two parties submitted their final bids (similar financially) for the beleaguered 137-year-old property.

The NY Times Co. picked up the Globe in 1993 for $1.1 billion. Since then, it's watched the paper's revenue and circulation plummet, a situation worsened by the advent of the internet and the newspaper industry's generally slow response to it. Now, it's apparently worth just under 10% of NYT's original purchase price, with the offers pushed higher by both parties' willingness to assume $59 million in pension liabilities.

Continue reading NYT pulls Boston Globe off the block

NYT pulls Boston Globe off the block originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.