Lens Blog: Oded Balilty’s Photos of Russian-speaking Immigrants in Israel

It’s fair to state that Oded Balilty knows Israel. He grew up in Jerusalem and has been covering the country as a photographer for The Associated Press since 2002. But this year, as he photographed the Russian community there, he learned — to his surprise — that he still had ...

Five Guys Beats McDonald’s, Burger Pollution in California, Fast Food Brain Implants, and Global Golden Arches Protests – Big Burger Business Buzz and Research Reports (MCD, WEN, BKW)

When Five Guys Burgers and Fries beat out hamburger mega-chains like McDonald’s (MCD), Wendy’s (WEN) and Burger King (BKW) in a recent survey of burger-eating customers, it was no surprise to any quick serve burger consumer who is lucky enough to live near one of the 1,000 or so Five ...

Harley-Davidson shares skid on sales miss

Click the chart to track Harley-Davidson’s stock. Shares of Harley-Davidson fell sharply Wednesday after the motorcycle giant’s second-quarter sales figures fell short of Wall Street’s estimates. Sales were particularly weak in Europe, where dealers sold just 14,639 motorcycles, 9% fewer than last year.

Consumers’ mood rises as pump prices fall

By John W. Schoen, Senior Producer At least we’re saving money at the gas pump. That seems to be the takeaway from the latest monthly read on the sentiment of American consumers by the widely watched Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey. The index moved up to 79.3 in May, from ...

Microsoft’s Windows sales pick up, but gaming softens

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Microsoft’s sales growth for Xbox and Kinect slowed sharply last quarter, but other sectors like Windows helped the company post earnings that beat analysts’ estimates. Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) pulled in earnings of 60 cents per share on sales of $17.4 billion for its fiscal third ...

Retail sales give Dow industrials a boost

U.S. retail sales for March shot up 0.8 percent, sharply higher than the forecast, according to the Commerce Department. But Apple shares dropped, weighing heavily on the Nasdaq index. Some investors have been watching a trend line in Apple’s meteoric rise this year and said it was broken on Monday ...

Your taxes are due April 17!

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Before you start to panic, remember that you still have a couple more days to get your return filed to Uncle Sam. While the tax filing deadline typically falls on April 15, this year taxes are due Tuesday, April 17. The extra break was granted because ...

Spring travel deals: Leave before Memorial Day and save

(Money Magazine) — Rather than wait until the summer for your next vacation, take off before Memorial Day. The smaller crowds — and big savings — are well worth the rush. Beat the pack to Europe: Early to mid-May is a great time to visit the French Riviera, says Expedia ...

15-year mortgage rate hits record low

Mortgage rates fell over the past week, sending the 15-year benchmark to a record low, mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Thursday. While 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are more common, low mortgage rates have made 15-year notes more realistic for some homeowners, especially those who have relatively low balances and want to ...

Stocks hit level not seen since financial crisis

© Brendan Mcdermid / Reuters / REUTERS Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks rose Thursday, with the S&P 500 index, a broad gauge of the market, topping the 1,400-mark for the first time since the financial crisis on a strong run of economic data.

Citibank, 3 others flunk Fed stress test

The Fed said 15 of the 19 major banks tested passed. The Fed noted that all 19 banks are in a much stronger position than immediately after the 2008 financial crisis. Still, SunTrust, Ally Financial and MetLife joined Citi in failing to meet the test’s minimum capital requirements. The Fed ...

Nike stock jumps to new high

The Nike logo is displayed at a Nike store in South Miami. Nike Inc. shares continued a multi-month climb to hit a new high during Friday’s trading session. “You’ve got a whole laundry list of good things,” said Morningstar analyst Paul Swinand. “They are all coming together.” The world’s largest ...

Stocks lifted by upbeat economic data

U.S. stocks advanced on Thursday, reversing declines from the previous session, after some positive data on the labor market and solid monthly sales from retailers encouraged buying. But gains were muted as this year’s rally, which has pushed major indexes to multi-year highs, has left some investors leery of a ...

Blackstone CEO Schwarzman’s $223 million year

Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, pictured in Switzerland in 2010, made more than $220 million last year, not including stock options. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — It was a very good year for Stephen Schwarzman.

Wall Street bonuses expected to slip for 2011

NEW YORK — Cash bonuses to be paid to New York City securities workers for their 2011 performance are expected to slide 14 percent to $19.7 billion as stiffer regulations took a toll on profits, New York State’s comptroller said Wednesday. The securities industry, which still has not recovered ...

Stocks end lower after Fed chief’s comments

U.S. stocks slipped Wednesday as U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s comments were viewed as a bit more hawkish, but reports suggesting more improvement in the economy curbed losses. The three major U.S. stock indexes ended lower, snapping a four-day streak of gains. Still, the broader market, as measured by ...

Multi-million dollar foreclosures

Located in “the Gold Coast of Orange County,” this impressive home with views of Catalina Island and the Pacific Ocean fell into foreclosure in 2010, the same year it was built. At one time, it was in escrow for $28 million. Now, the home is available through a private investment ...