International Business News - LPX http://www.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://www.ibtimes.com/ http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif First the bursting of the dot-com bubble in the 1990s, then the accounting scandals earlier this decade, forced ballparks and arenas around the country to change their names. Enron Field became Minute Maid Park, and names like PSINet Stadium and CMGI Field vanished. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/143075-meltdown-naming-rights.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081001/money-meltdown-creates-identity-crises-for-venues.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081001/money-meltdown-creates-identity-crises-for-venues.htm Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:01:05 EDT First the bursting of the dot-com bubble in the 1990s, then the accounting scandals earlier this decade, forced ballparks and arenas around the country to change their names. Enron Field became Minute Maid Park, and names like PSINet Stadium and CMGI Field vanished. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/142802-meltdown-naming-rights.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080930/money-meltdown-creates-identity-crises-for-venues.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080930/money-meltdown-creates-identity-crises-for-venues.htm Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:04:46 EDT Declining demand and volatile input costs have led Moody's Investors Service to an overall negative view of the creditworthiness of global paper and forest products companies, one of the ratings agency's analysts said Monday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080922/analyst-note-paper-forest-products-makers-ailing.htm Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:29:57 EDT Fresh evidence Wednesday that the nation remains gripped by a severe housing downturn hammered shares of building materials suppliers. The Commerce Department said housing construction dropped a surprise 6.2 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 895,000 units. That's the slowest building pace since January 1991, another period when housing was going through a painful correction. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080917/building-materials-suppliers-off-on-housing-report.htm Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:54:26 EDT Shares of timber companies were mostly higher after the Federal Reserve left a key interest rate unchanged. The central bank said Tuesday it was keeping its target for the federal funds rate, the interest that banks charge on overnight loans, unchanged at 2 percent. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080916/timber-company-shares-mostly-up-after-fed-decision.htm Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:39:02 EDT Repairs and reconstruction needed for thousands of homes across Louisiana and Texas in the wake of hurricanes Gustav and Ike will boost sales for building material manufacturers, but not nearly enough to offset the effects of the nation's housing slump. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080915/manufacturers-get-ike-boost-but-remain-in-slump.htm Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:39:42 EDT Shares of building materials suppliers fell Monday as an analyst downgraded shares of a key lumber company and the broader stock market declined. RBC Capital Markets analyst Paul C. Quinn downgraded Louisiana-Pacific Corp. to "Underperform" from "Sector Perform," citing "the end of the traditional building season in September and continued uncertainty in U.S. housing and credit markets (which) are likely to lower future (oriented strand board) prices." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080915/shares-of-building-materials-suppliers-fall.htm Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:04:19 EDT Shares of paper products makers rocketed up Wednesday after International Paper Co. pushed through a containerboard price hike that--if it sticks--could transform the once-moribund sector. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080903/sector-snap-paper-companies-rise-on-price-boost.htm Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:15:39 EDT Shares of wood and paper products makers rose Monday after an analyst said the European sector is benefiting from falling crude oil prices and capacity cuts, developments that also help North American wood and paper products makers. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080811/sector-snap-wood-paper-products-makers-rising.htm Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:25:35 EDT Among the stock activity stories for Friday, Aug. 8, from AP Financial News: NEW YORK (AP)--KeyCorp shares jumped Friday following a news report that Merrill Lynch & Co. upgraded the stock to "Buy" from "Underperform." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080808/movers-roundup-keycorp-discover-financial.htm Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:48:14 EDT Shares of packaging and paper makers rose Friday as the price of crude oil dipped briefly below $116 per barrel and several companies reported strong quarterly results, enticing investors to snap up bargains in the sector. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080808/shares-of-packaging-forest-products-makers-jump.htm Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:41:07 EDT Louisiana-Pacific Corp. shares shot up Friday as investors decided recent bad news was over and it was time to pick up a bargain in the beleaguered building products sector. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080808/louisiana-pacific-surges-as-investors-spot-value.htm Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:07:54 EDT Louisiana Pacific Corp., which makes building products, issued an advisory Thursday for its composite decking material purchased after Jan. 1, 2005 and made at the company's Meridian, Idaho facility. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080807/louisiana-pacific-issues-warning-for-decking.htm Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:54:21 EDT Louisiana-Pacific Corp., which makes building products, said Monday it will suspend its 15 cent quarterly dividend. The move will save $62 million annually amid a weak housing market. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080804/louisiana-pacific-suspends-quarterly-dividends.htm Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:20:44 EDT Shares of forest products makers surged Friday after the largest company in the sector reported second-quarter earnings that easily beat Wall Street expectations. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080801/sector-snap-forest-products-makers-climb.htm Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:16:37 EDT Among the earnings stories for Tuesday, July 29, from AP Financial News: LOS ANGELES (AP)--Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. says its second-quarter profit rose 8 percent as sales jumped 10 percent. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080729/earnings-roundup-northrop-grumman-jarden.htm Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:47:14 EDT Lumber and building products maker Louisiana-Pacific Corp. reported a wider second-quarter loss on Tuesday, falling below Wall Street expectations, hurt by the U.S. housing slump and higher raw material costs. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080729/louisiana-pacific-2q-loss-widens-misses-street.htm Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:45:45 EDT Profits at paper, packaging and building supply companies are getting squeezed by raw material costs and falling demand for their goods as the U.S. economy and housing market languish. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080725/paper-forest-products-makers-long-trek-to-profit.htm Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:11:57 EDT An analyst on Friday improved his second-quarter forecast for construction products maker Louisiana-Pacific Corp. Lehman Brothers analyst Peter Ruschmeier revised his projection to a loss of 33 cents from a loss of 38 cents per share. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080718/analyst-improves-2q-forecast-on-louisiana-pacific.htm Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:38:29 EDT Wall Street analysts are beginning to suggest that recently falling petroleum prices plus continued dollar weakness could energize shares of some packaging and paper products makers, even as they hover near 52-week lows. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080718/sector-snap-paper-product-makers-set-for-rally.htm Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:24:41 EDT