Icahn was right about Time Warner...7 years later

Seven years ago, activist investor Carl Icahn spelled out a blueprint for breaking up media conglomerate Time Warner (TWX) into four separate entities.

With this week's decision by CNNMoney's parent company to spin off Time Inc., Icahn's prediction is finally coming true. But he won't be able capitalize on it. By late 2008, Icahn had completely sold his stake.

In 2006, Icahn pushed for Time Warner to essentially split itself into MORE

Sears' stock sinks on poor results

It's a tough week to be a retailer in search of customers. First, the shares of J.C. Penney (JCP) cratered after the Ron Johnson-led retailer reported abysmal fourth-quarter numbers Wednesday night.

Next up: Sears (SHLD). The iconic retailer can't turn a profit or get customers excited about its merchandise or Kmart's. After reporting yet another quarter of steep losses early Thursday, Sears' stock dropped nearly 5%.

Releasing results so close to JCPenney at least makes MORE

Bill Gross: Brace for lower returns

Get used to lower returns on stocks and bonds, Pimco's founder and co-chief investment officer Bill Gross told investors in his monthly letter.

Gross, who oversees Pimco's Total Return Fund (PTTRX), said that investors are entering a period of what he calls "rational temperance." By that Gross means that investors should expect gains from stocks, and corporate and high-yield bonds to be more muted.

Corporate credit and high yield bonds are somewhat MORE

Chesapeake Energy sells assets to China at a 'discount'

Chesapeake Energy (CHK) announced a deal Monday to sell half of its oil and gas assets in northern Oklahoma to Sinopec, one of China's largest oil producers, for $1 billion.

Chesapeake's shares dropped nearly 5% as investors worried that the embattled Oklahoma City gas company sold the assets at a discount.

"There's been a concern that Chesapeake's weakened financial position would make them do deals at low prices," said Phil Weiss, an analyst MORE

Pension funds urge JPMorgan Chase to oust Dimon as chairman

"Give up the chairman role Jamie Dimon." That's what a coalition of investors in four major pension funds told JPMorgan Chase's (JPM) board Wednesday. Dimon has served as the bank's CEO and chairman since late 2006.

The coalition, which includes the Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds as well as the New York City Pension Funds, called on the bank to name an independent board chairman. Shareholders will vote on this plan MORE

Apple can't catch a break: Stock down again

Apple (AAPL) and the broader stock market are once again at odds. When the S&P 500 (SPX) and Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU) have ticked up, Apple tends to move lower. As many traders have pointed out, Apple has been trading inversely to the market and its rival Google (GOOG), the maker of the Android operating system.

On Tuesday, Apple's stock dipped roughly 0.4%, while the S&P and Dow moved closer MORE

Tesla stock dips on poor Model S review

The idea of a driving an electric car has always intrigued me, but after reading a New York Times review of the Tesla (TSLA) Model S on I-95, it sounds like a total nightmare.

According to the writer, the battery on the Model S drained much quicker than promised in cold weather during a recent trip up and down the East Coast. With only a few charging stations in the Northeast, the writer was forced MORE

Einhorn to Apple: Give us more cash!

Activist investor David Einhorn publicly called for Apple (AAPL) to give some of its $137 billion cash hoard to back to shareholders in the form of preferred stock.

Einhorn said in a press release Thursday that he has held meetings with Apple executives explaining how they could unlock "several hundred billions of dollars" by distributing a perpetual preferred stock. Apple, he said, rejected the proposal in September 2012.

"Like many other shareholders, Greenlight is dissatisfied with Apple's MORE

Bill Gross: Be very afraid of the markets

Bond guru and Pimco (PTTRX) managing director Bill Gross isn't buying into the bull market. In fact, he's warning investors to be afraid, be very afraid, of how inflation and the flood of cheap money will affect all investments.

Investors should be prepared to accept "lower returns on bonds, stocks, real estate and derivative strategies," Gross wrote in his monthly letter entitled "Credit Supernova!"

Championing something of a bunker mentality, Gross MORE

Carl Icahn notches another win with Chesapeake

Super Carl? Activist Carl Icahn has been racking up some pretty big wins in the past few weeks. Now, add Chesapeake Energy (CHK) to that list.

Chesapeake Energy's stock is up more than 6% Wednesday, following the company's announcement that its controversial CEO and founder Aubrey McClendon would step down immediately and retire on April 1, 2013.

Icahn was a key force behind McClendon's ouster. Early last year, investors discovered that MORE