$TSLA Gets an A+ From Consumer Reports

“DETROIT (Reuters) – Consumer Reports magazine awarded a near-perfect score to Tesla MotorsCo’s Model S, citing the electric car’s power, “pinpoint” handling and quiet, well-crafted interior.

The score of 99 out of 100 puts the Model S far ahead of other electric and gas-powered rivals, including the Porsche Panamera sports car and the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid.

“Slipping behind the wheel of the Tesla Model S is like crossing into a promising zero-emissions future,” the highly influential magazine said in its review on Thursday. “It’s what Marty McFly might have brought back in place of his DeLorean in ‘Back to the Future’.”

Consumer Reports last gave a near-perfect score six years ago to the Lexus LS 460L luxury sedan made by Toyota Motor Corp, according to the magazine, which has more than 8 million subscribers.

The positive review comes on the heels of Tesla reporting its first quarterly profit in its 10-year history. Chief Executive Elon Musk is attempting to reach a broader group of buyers with the Model S electric sedan.

Consumer Reports said a Model S equipped with an 85 kilowatt hour battery was able to get 200 miles between electric charges. Range varied between 180 miles on cold winter days to about 225 miles in more moderate temperatures….”

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“WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fannie Mae , the nation’s biggest mortgage finance company, said on Thursday it will pay $59.4 billion in dividends to the U.S. Treasury after a record profit in the first quarter that reflecting a multibillion dollar gain from reversing an earlier writedown of tax benefits.

The government-controlled company reported pretax income of $8.1 billion for the quarter and booked an additional gain of $50.6 billion on the tax assets, resulting in net income of $58.7 billion. That compared to a $2.7 billion profit in the same three months a year earlier.

Since its return to profitability, Fannie Mae has been considering when to start counting potential tax credits as part of its net worth….”

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“Brent futures fell for a third session as crude inventories in the U.S. increased. Iraq resumed oil exports via Turkey today after a halt caused by sabotage to a pipeline.

Brent dropped as much as 0.8 percent. Total U.S. crude stockpiles rose by 230,000 barrels, according to the Energy Department. Iraq’s state-run North Oil Co. repaired the pipeline to Turkey following a bombing attack yesterday in the city of Mosul. The weekly U.S. jobless claims will be announced at 8:30 a.m. Washington time and are expected to show an increase to 335,000, according to a Bloomberg survey.

“The market looks to be taking stock, awaiting the next economic data,” said Michael Hewson, a market analyst at CMC Markets Plc in London who expects WTI to peak at $98 this year. “It’s a demand story at the moment as inventories keep rising. We need positive economic news to stop the fall and that could come with the weekly jobless claims.”

Brent for June settlement fell as much as 78 cents to $103.56 a barrel, and was at $103.73 as of 12:39 p.m. London time on the ICE Futures Europe exchange.

West Texas Intermediate for June delivery was down 71 cents at $95.91 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The front-month European benchmark was at a premium of $7.82 to WTI. It closed at $7.72 yesterday, the narrowest gap since January 2011.

U.S. Inventories….”

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“U.K. industrial production rose more than economists forecast in March as cold weather boosted demand for electricity and gas.

Output increased 0.7 percent from February, when it gained 0.9 percent, the Office for National Statistics said today in London. The median forecast of 31 economists in a Bloomberg News survey was for a gain of 0.2 percent. Electricity and gas surged 2.4 percent, the most since October. The data also showed that production increased 0.2 percent in the first quarter, matching an estimate in last month’s gross domestic product report.

Britain’s economy grew 0.3 percent in the three months through March and surveys suggest that the recovery may have continued into this quarter. Bank of England policy makers meeting today will probably maintain their target for asset purchases at 375 billion pounds ($583 billion) as they weigh risks to the rebound from the contraction in the fourth quarter.

The data “suggest that the economic recovery gained some momentum towards the end of the first quarter,” said Samuel Tombs, an economist at Capital Economics Ltd. in London. Still, “we doubt that this strong growth will be maintained. With the euro zone still deep in recession, any recovery in the export-dependent industrial sector this year is likely to be limp at best.”

The pound advanced against the dollar and the euro. It rose 0.2 percent to $1.5559 as of 10:31 a.m. London time and was 0.3 percent stronger at 84.43 pence against the euro. The yield on the 10-year U.K. government bond was little changed at 1.77 percent.

Manufacturing Growth…”

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“Sony Corp. (6758) forecast annual profit that missed analyst estimates as Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai tries to win back customers from Samsung Electronics Co. with new Xperia smartphones and Bravia TVs.

Net income may rise 16 percent to 50 billion yen ($507 million) in the year started April 1, the Tokyo-based company said in a statement. That compares with the 66.4 billion-yen average of 18 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Hirai used job cuts, asset sales, a weaker yen and blockbuster movies to return the company to profit after four years of losses as the electronics business struggles to recapture ground lost to Samsung. The South Korean company’s smartphones outsold Sony’s 7-to-1 last year, and its flat-panel TVs generated more than triple Sony’s revenue.

“Sony is being bullish,” said Takashi Oba, a senior strategist at Okasan Securities Co. “It’s up to whether it can reduce the losses in its electronics business and produce hit products.”

Sony posted a profit in the year ended March after it generated about $2 billion in one-time gains selling stock holdings and properties including its New York headquarters, a chemicals unit and shares in health-care data provider M3 Inc. (2413) Sony’s movie studio also topped the U.S. box-office last year with hits including “Skyfall” and “The Amazing Spider-Man.”

Operating Profit…”

Full report

“China’s consumer inflation stayed subdued in April while the decline in factory-gate price declines deepened, adding to evidence of softer demand and giving the government room to raise utility fees.

The consumer price index (SHCOMP) rose 2.4 percent in April, the National Bureau of Statistics said today in Beijing, compared with a median forecast of 2.3 percent in a Bloomberg News survey. The producer price index fell 2.6 percent, after March’s 1.9 percent drop.

Inflation running below the government’s annual goal of 3.5 percent gives new Premier Li Keqiang leeway to loosen resource-fee controls that the World Bank says encourage pollution and limit incentives for new technologies. The producer-price deflation may reflect lower commodity prices and factory overcapacity…..”

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“Australian and New Zealand jobs growth surged, sending the currencies soaring and undermining central bank efforts to relieve pressure on manufacturers and exporters.

The number of people employed in Australia rose by 50,100 in April from a month earlier, more than four times economists’ estimates, and the jobless rate unexpectedly fell to 5.5 percent, government data showed today. New Zealand employers added a record 38,000 jobs last quarter and its unemployment plunged to a three-year low of 6.2 percent. Economists expected 6.8 percent.

Both currencies surged to levels that preceded the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision two days ago to cut the benchmarkinterest rate to a record low and New Zealand Governor Graeme Wheeler’s announcement a day later that he has intervened to weaken the kiwi. South Korea also cut rates today to ease pressure on exporters. The surge in Australian jobs may undermine the case for RBA Governor Glenn Stevens to add to 2 percentage points of reductions in the past 19 months.

“Reserve Bank Board members probably winced when they heard the job numbers,” said Craig James, a senior economist at a unit of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the nation’s biggest lender. “The Reserve Bank will probably leave a rate cut on the table over the next few months. But more figures like this and it clearly won’t be acting on the easing bias.”

Currency Reaction

The Australian dollar jumped as high as $1.0254 from $1.0165 before the jobs data. The three-year bond yield rose six basis points, or 0.06 percentage point, to 2.57 percent. The move in yields was the biggest since March 25.

The kiwi bought 84.61 U.S. cents at 6.24 p.m. in Wellington from 84.09 cents before the report. The currency had declined to a five-week low yesterday…”

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“The Bank of Korea cut interest rates, following the lead of policy makers in Australia, Europe and India this month, as strength in the won and weakness in the yen dim the outlook for the nation’s exports.

Governor Kim Choong Soo and his board lowered the benchmark seven-day repurchase rate to 2.5 percent from 2.75 percent, the central bank said in a statement in Seoul today. Six of 20 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News predicted the move while the remainder forecast no change. Kim supported a cut after opposing one last month.

As central banks around the world move to counter currency appreciation, the won’s 24 percent jump against the yen in six months is hampering South Korean exporters of autos and electronics and aiding their Japanese rivals. In Seoul, ruling New Frontier Party floor leader Lee Hahn Koo yesterday urged a “more active role” for the BOK, adding to political pressure that the central bank resisted last month.

“Japan’s policies must have played a very big role in today’s decision,” said Huh Kwan, a Seoul-based fixed-income trader at Korea Investment & Securities Co., one of South Korea’s 20 primary dealers. “The cut can be seen as action to ease a worsening impact on exports.”

The won was little changed against the dollar, trading at 1,086.65 as of 11:44 a.m. in Seoul. The Kospi stock index rose 0.8 percent.

China, Australia

Across the Asia Pacific region, data gave a mixed picture. China reported inflation below the government’s 3.5 percent target and the steepest decline in producer prices in six months, highlighting weakness in the world’s second-biggest economy. Australian employers added more than four times as many jobs as analysts estimated, sending the local currency higher…..”

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“Asian stocks dropped, with the regional benchmark index retreating from a five-year high. Japan’s Topix Index erased gains as the yen strengthened, dimming the outlook for the nation’s exporters.

Canon Inc. (7751), which loses almost $80 million for every 1 yen Japan’s currency gains against the dollar, fell 1 percent. Bridgestone (5108) Corp., the world’s biggest tire maker, sank 6.6 percent in Tokyo after keeping its full-year profit forecast below analyst estimates. GS Engineering & Construction Corp. jumped 6.8 percent after the Bank of Korea cut interest rates….”

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World Markets

Currencies

Commodities

USD Libor

Euribor

Yields for Italy, Spain, France,  and Germany …

“Hard-pressed company bosses across much of the world are under so much pressure to deliver on growth that many have resorted to cooking the books, Ernst & Young said in a survey Tuesday.

One in five of almost 3,500 staff quizzed in 36 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India said they had seen financial manipulation in their companies in the last 12 months, the accounting and consultancy firm said.

In addition 42 percent of board directors and top managers questioned in the fraud survey said they were aware of “some type of irregular financial reporting.”

And despite scandals and regulatory failures in the wake of the credit crunch, almost a quarter of top financial services staff surveyed said they were aware of manipulation, and almost 10 percent of all staff said their companies had understated costs, overstated revenues or used unprincipled sales tactics.

Almost half of the sales staff surveyed across all sectors did not consider anti-corruption policies to be relevant and more than a quarter thought it acceptable to offer personal gifts or services to win or retain business.

In India, over a third felt justified in offering cash—triple of that in western Europe.

“Our survey shows that to find growth and improved performance in this environment, an alarming number appear to be comfortable with or aware of unethical conduct,” said David Stulb, head of E&Y’s fraud investigation and dispute services practice.

In Spain, ranked alongside Russia and just below Nigeria and Slovenia, 61 percent of staff believed companies often exaggerated results, compared with only 7 percent in Finland.

And E&Y said the vast majority of managers from Norway to Nigeria and Russia to Greece were feeling the pressure to deliver a good financial performance over the next 12 months, despite little optimism that business conditions would improve….”

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“Microsoft is preparing to reverse course over key elements of its Windows 8 operating system, marking one of the most prominent admissions of failure for a new mass-market consumer product since Coca-Cola‘s New Coke fiasco nearly 30 years ago.

“Key aspects” of how the software is used will be changed when Microsoft releases an updated version of the operating system this year, Tammy Reller, head of marketing and finance for the Windows business, said in an interview with the Financial Times. Referring to difficulties many users have had with mastering the software, she added: “The learning curve is definitely real.”

Analysts warned that changing course would be a significant admission of failure for Steve Ballmer, chief executive, who called the October launch of Windows 8 a “bet-the-company” moment as Microsoft sought to respond to the success of Apple‘s iPad.

(Read More: Microsoft Is ‘Not Dead Yet,’ Say Wall Street Pros)

“It’s a horrible thing for this to happen to your flagship product – he’ll take a hit for that,” said Mark Anderson, an independent tech analyst. “But he’s also responsible for a renaissance inside the company. There’s a level of risk and creativity going on that would never have happened two years ago.”

Richard Doherty, analyst at tech research firm Envisioneering, said: “This is like New Coke, going on for seven months – only Coke listened better.” Coca-Cola dropped its New Coke formula in response to a consumer backlash less than three months after launch.

Windows 8 was an ambitious attempt to update the personal computer for the tablet era by moving to a new touchscreen interface based on colorful tiles, hiding the “desktop” launch screen familiar to white collar workers and consumers around the world….”

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“Nationwide home prices including distressed sales were up 10.5% year-over-year in March, according to CoreLogic’s latest home price report. On a monthly basis home prices were up 1.9%.

This was the thirteenth straight monthly rise, and the fastest pace of increase since March 2006. Ex-distressed sales, home prices were up 10.7% year-over-year and 2.4% on the month.

“For the first time since March 2006, both the overall index and the index that excludes distressed sales are above 10 percent year over year,” said Dr. Mark Fleming, chief economist at CoreLogic in a press release. Home prices are being driven by demand from investors and homebuyers even as supply stays tight.

Here are some details from the report…”

Full report

“Americans’ confidence in the economy has reached a five-year weekly high, according to Gallup’s weekly tracking index.

This week’s reading matched a five-year high set the week ending Feb. 3. It comes just a week after The Conference Board’s April Consumer Confidence survey showed a huge surge to 68.1 from last month’s upwardly-revised 61.9 reading.

The current confidence score in Gallup‘s confidence reading is -8, which was a surge from -13 the previous week. The index has reached as low as -22 this year.

Monthly economic confidence in April also matched a five-year high, coming in at a marked improvement over March’s reading, which was likely low because of the budget sequester….”

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Apparently most of America missed this….

“David Einhorn’s Q1 letter to investors is out, and he says that he got a big boost from the weakening yen, reports Bloomberg.

What’s more, he says Apple took a “step forward” and that he’s adding to his bet.

Einhorn’s hedge fund, Greenlight Capital, owned $1.5 million shares of Apple at the end of Q4 2012 and he was very public about desire to get the company to issue preferred stock (you can check out his presentation about it here).

He even sued Apple over the matter but dropped the lawsuit eventually.…”

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Hats off to the Italian Eatery, Collegno’s Pizzeria, in Brooklyn!!!

“New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was denied a second slice of pizza today at an Italian eatery in Brooklyn.

The owners of Collegno’s Pizzeria say they refused to serve him more than one piece to protest Bloomberg’s proposed soda ban, which would limit the portions of soda sold in the city.

Bloomberg was having an informal working lunch with city comptroller John Liu at the time and was enraged by the embarrassing prohibition. The owners would not relent, however, and the pair were forced to decamp to another restaurant to finish their meal.

Witnesses say the situation unfolded when as the two were looking over budget documents, they realized they needed more food than originally ordered.

“Hey, could I get another pepperoni over here?” Bloomberg asked owner Antonio Benito.

“I’m sorry sir,” he replied, “we can’t do that. You’ve reached your personal slice limit.”

Stop and Tisk

Mayor Bloomberg, not accustomed to being challenged, assumed that the owner was joking.

“OK, that’s funny,” he remarked, “because of the soda thing … No come on. I’m not kidding. I haven’t eaten all morning, just send over another pepperoni.”

“I’m sorry sir. We’re serious,” Benito insisted. “We’ve decided that eating more than one piece isn’t healthy for you, and so we’re forbidding you from doing it.”

“Look jackass,” Bloomberg retorted, his anger boiling, “I fucking skipped breakfast this morning just so I could eat four slices of your pizza. Don’t be a schmuck, just get back to the kitchen and bring out some fucking pizza, okay.”

“I’m sorry sir, there’s nothing I can do,” the owner repeated. “Maybe you could go to several restaurants and get one slice at each. At least that way you’re walking. You know, burning calories.”….”

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