Jobless claims fall to four-year low

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Claims for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to their lowest level in more than four years, but the drop was due mostly to a technical issue.

About 339,000 people filed for first-time unemployment benefits in the week ended October 6, down 30,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday.

That's a dramatic drop in just one week and represents the lowest level of initial claim filings since February 2008.

The weekly claims figure is often seen as a proxy for layoffs, so when it drops, it's considered an encouraging sign that the job market is improving. But the figure is extremely volatile and has failed to hold a consistent trend this year.

Much of the drop last week was caused by an anomaly, a Labor Department analyst told CNNMoney. One state posted a large decline in claims, which is not typical during the last week in September.

The drop probably occurred because that state didn't fully process end-of-quarter claims, the Labor Department analyst said. If that's the case, it's possible initial claims could shoot back up next week, once those claims are processed.

Usually, most states report a rise in initial claims at the end of the quarter. The Labor Department seasonally adjusts its figures to account for those trends, but this year the rise was smaller than expected because of that state.

Many economists speculated that the state is California, but the Labor Department will not confirm that until it publishes its state breakdown next week.

"It was likely a state with a large population and we suspect that it was California based on the occasional massive swings that have occurred in its claims data in the past," said Daniel Silver, economist at JPMorgan, in a note to clients.

The Labor Department publishes the state breakdown with a lag, so next week's report will shed more light on the issue.

The latest jobless claims figures come less than a week after a strong monthly jobs report raised eyebrows and unleashed a political firestorm, with former GE CEO Jack Welch alleging that the numbers were manipulated. There's no evidence of any misconduct and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis has called the conspiracy theories "insulting."

The report showed the unemployment rate fell to 7.8% in September, the lowest rate since President Obama was inaugurated in January 2009.

First Published: October 11, 2012: 8:47 AM ET

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Obama and Romney should get serious on jobs (no more BS, please)

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The most recent polling confirms what both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney know: that the shape of the U.S. economy remains, by a wide margin, the single biggest issue facing American voters. 

Despite talk of debt and deficit reduction that has dominated Congressional debate for the last two years, the sub-category of greatest concern to Americans isn't federal spending; it's job creation. 

All of those warnings about how America could easily become like Greece aren't resonating.  What Americans seem to want is a president and Congress that will work marginally as hard on creating jobs as they seem to do fighting about debt.

To that end, both candidates have made grand and, potentially, impossible promises. 

It started with a claim by the Romney camp that a Republican administration would result in 12 million U.S. jobs created in 4 years, though he provided no details as to how that would be achieved. 

The Obama administration made the quick calculation that the a lofty unsubstantiated promise trumps the evidence at hand, and within days proclaimed the Romney pledge "a low bar," suggesting that that many jobs would be created no matter who was in the Oval Office.

But the facts tell a different story.  The current rate of job growth in the U.S. is about 2 million jobs a year, so both candidates are talking about 50% growth in job creation over the next presidential term.  Putting aside how much influence a U.S. president can actually have over job creation, history provides some context about the relationship between job creation and economic growth.

Related: Obama may be a job creator after all

 The U.S. has created 12 million jobs in 4 years 3 times before.  The first was during World War Two, from August 1939 to July 1943. 

More recent history provides us with two examples. The first was from September 1983 to August 1987, during Ronald Reagan's term in office, when economic growth averaged 4.5%.  The second time was between August 1996 and July 2000, under Bill Clinton, when GDP growth averaged 4.3%.

The U.S. is nowhere near that now, and won't be anytime soon. The most recent measure of U.S. economic growth, from the second quarter, is 1.3%, and the highest estimates for 2013, assuming the European doesn't deteriorate further, is around 3%, much lower than the 4% or higher that history suggests is needed to meet the claims. 

Assuming the economy grows faster in the subsequent 3 years of the next presidential term, it would still need to grow at a rate not currently projected, for either candidate's claims to come true.

It would likely serve the U.S. voter better not to be presented with a "blue skies" version of the future that is unlikely to come to pass. Rather, a bold candidate may want to suggest that the U.S. economic hole is deep, and likely to take considerable time to be filled. It would serve voters further to hear specifics about how a higher-than-normal number of jobs might be created.  Neither enhanced "consumer confidence" nor "tax cuts" will likely, on their own, add 50% to the projected base of job creation. 

Economists on both sides, when pressed, point to a rebound in U.S home sales and prices, combined with record low interest rates, as a potential driver for employment.  Others suggest a massive infrastructure push, but the appetite among U.S taxpayers for greater government intervention into the economy, after the much maligned "stimulus" of 2009, is small.

 With less than a month to go until the election, there will be an ebb-and-flow in the absolute influence of the economy on voters, but concern over jobs have trumped all other issues, economic or not, for the last 4 years.  Americans are eager for a plan that will see that concern, finally, fade into the background.

First Published: October 11, 2012: 10:31 AM ET

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Stocks rise after 4-day losing streak

Click the chart for more stock market data.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks advanced Thursday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq snapping a 4-day losing streak, as investors welcomed an unexpected drop in the number of people filing first-time unemployment claims.

The number of jobless claims fell 30,000 to 339,000 last week, hitting the lowest level since February 2008.

While the significant drop was caused by an anomaly -- one state posted a large decline in claims, which is not typical during the last week in September -- it still helped drive stocks higher following weakness in the early part of the week.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 0.4%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.6% and the Nasdaq gained 0.7%.

Financial stocks were big gainers, as Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) drove the Dow higher.

Other economic data was also encouraging. The U.S. Census Bureau said the trade deficit fell slightly to $44.2 billion from July to August. The Labor Department also reported import prices rose 1.1% in September while export prices rose 0.8%.

Also adding fuel to the morning's positive trading was a report that Japan's Softbank is in talks to acquire telecom operator Sprint Nextel, said Dave Rovelli, managing director of U.S. equity trading at Canaccord Adams.

Sprint (S, Fortune 500) shares surged 13% following a Wall Street Journal report that Softbank (SFTBF) is nearing a deal to buy a controlling stake in the third largest U.S. carrier for about $12.8 billion. As of August, Softbank's mobile arm has more than 30 million subscribers. Sprint networking partner Clearwire (CLWR) soared 35% on reports that Softbank may want to buy it as well.

Earlier this week, there had been speculation that Sprint may make a play for rival MetroPCs (PCS, Fortune 500), which last week agreed to merge with T-Mobile USA operator Deutsche Telekom.

Related: M&A drought not letting up

Meanwhile in Europe, credit rating agency S&P downgraded Spain late Wednesday, and warned that the latest plan to recapitalize Spanish banks "still lacks predictability."

Joe Heider, managing principal of Rehmann Financial, said many investors were seeing the downgrade as a positive catalyst that could force Spain to finally seek a bailout.

European stocks started off lower, but rebounded as the morning progressed. Britain's FTSE 100 added 1%, the DAX in Germany rose 1.2% and France's CAC 40 advanced 1.2%.

Meanwhile in Asia, South Korea's central bank lowered interest rates for the second time this year. Markets ended the day mixed. The Shanghai Composite slid 0.8% and Japan's Nikkei shed 0.6%, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong ticked up 0.4%.

Fear & Greed Index

Companies: Third-quarter earnings season is underway, but only a handful of companies reported Thursday, including hardware supply store Fastenal and Safeway. Fastenal (FAST) shares jumped as the company met earnings expectations, while Safeway (SWY, Fortune 500) shares declined after the company posted weak same-store sales.

Realogy, the parent of real estate brokers Century 21, ERA and Coldwell Banker, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker RLGY after the company priced its IPO at the top end of its estimated range. Shares of Realogy (RLGY) rose 27% from their offering price.

Shares of Shutterstock (SSTK) jumped 30% in their market debut. The online stock photography company also priced its shares above the expected range in its IPO.

Currencies and commodities: The dollar fell versus the euro and British pound, but it gained against the Japanese yen.

Oil for November delivery added $1.30 to $92.55 a barrel.

Gold futures for December delivery rose $7.90 to $1,773 an ounce.

Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury edged lower, pushing the yield up to 1.72% from 1.69% late Wednesday.

First Published: October 11, 2012: 9:40 AM ET

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BAE's biggest shareholder slams EADS merger

British manufacturer BAE Systems, which makes fighter jets and other military equipment, could lose privileged access to the market for U.S. defense contracts, a big fund manager said.

LONDON (CNNMoney) -- Plans to create a European aerospace and defense giant through the merger of EADS and BAE Systems make no strategic sense, BAE's biggest shareholder said on Monday.

A merger with EADS, which is controlled by France and Germany, would damage the British defense manufacturer's privileged access to the lucrative market for U.S. military contracts, fund manager Invesco Perpetual said.

Invesco, which owns about 13.3% of BAE, said it had significant reservations about the proposal and its impact for BAE, which generates over 40% of its revenue in the United States.

The deal would bring together the maker of Airbus planes and Europe's largest arms manufacturer. The companies believe the combination will allow them to generate growth by achieving a better revenue balance between civil aviation and defense.

France and Germany each control 22.5% of EADS. Those stakes would be diluted in a merger with BAE but still leave both countries with significant influence.

"Invesco is very concerned that the level of state shareholding in the combined group will heavily impair its commercial prospects -- especially in the United States -- and result in governance arrangements driven more by political considerations than shareholder value creation," the fund manager said in a statement. (Related: $2 trillion divides candidates on defense spending)

The stinging rejection of the current structure of the deal comes just before a Wednesday deadline for EADS and BAE to reveal more details of the combination, which would create a global rival to US defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin (LMT, Fortune 500), Northrop Grumman (NOC, Fortune 500) and Boeing (BA, Fortune 500).

French media group Lagadere, which owns 7.5% of EADS, has also expressed concern at the proposed terms, according to which EADS would end up with 60% of the combined group.

Britain could block the $45 billion deal if its concerns about political influence are not addressed, defense minister Philip Hammond said on Sunday.

First Published: October 8, 2012: 10:15 AM ET

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Angry Birds Star Wars coming next month

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Two blockbuster franchises are about to collide: "Angry Birds Star Wars" is coming in November.

Finnish video game developer Rovio is teaming with Lucasfilm for the latest expansion to its empire of cranky avians. The new game will take the iconic birds -- now sporting lightsabers, blasters and bad '70s hairdos -- "from the deserts of Tatooine to the depths of the Death Star," according to Rovio's promo materials.

The game is slated for simultaneous release on Nov. 8 on Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500)'s iOS, and Google (GOOG, Fortune 500)'s Android operating systems, as well as Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500)'s Kindle Fire and Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) Windows Phone and Windows 8. PC versions will also be available.

"The Force is definitely strong with this one," said Peter "Mighty Eagle" Vesterbacka, Rovio's chief marketing officer, in a prepared statement. "It's the best parts of Angry Birds with all new cutting-edge gameplay set in a galaxy far, far away."

Rovio is preparing a massive retail push to accompany the game. Get ready for "Angry Birds Star Wars" action figures, apparel, plush toys and Halloween costumes, which will hit store shelves starting Oct. 28.

The new game will be the fifth major installment of the Angry Birds franchise, which launched in 2009 and pioneered the market for casual gaming on smartphones. The eponymous game and its offshoots -- including Angry Birds Seasons, Rio and Space -- have been downloaded more than 1 billion times so far and has catapulted Rovio, a decade-old development studio with a handful of minor hits, to the top ranks of the gaming field.

One of Rovio's key rivals, gaming company Zynga (ZNGA), has struggled since going public late last year. The company, which depends heavily on Facebook (FB), cut its financial outlook last week.

But privately held Rovio is still positioning itself for an IPO. It released a financial report in July showing sales of €75 million ($106 million in U.S. dollars) in 2011. Merchandising and licensing revenue accounted for 30% of that total, with revenue from the company's mix of ad-supported and paid games making up the rest.

"What we're building is an entertainment franchise," Rovio's Vesterbacka told CNNMoney earlier this year. "Obviously entertainment is a lot more than just games. We think that the business we're going after is significantly bigger than just games."

Rovio has recently experimented with expanding beyond its flagship franchise. In July it released "Amazing Alex," an adaptation of a game it acquired from a smaller developer, and in September it launched "Bad Piggies," an Angry Birds spin-off that switches to the porcine point of view.

First Published: October 8, 2012: 10:17 AM ET

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Wal-Mart and American Express launch new prepaid card

Wal-Mart and American Express announce a new prepaid card, Bluebird, that offers an alternative to debit cards and checking accounts.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Wal-Mart Stores and American Express are teaming up to launch a new prepaid card aimed at giving customers an alternative to checking accounts and debit cards, the companies said Monday.

The card, called Bluebird, can be used anywhere American Express (AXP, Fortune 500) is accepted, and customers can also use it to withdraw cash from ATMs. The companies said it will have no monthly, annual or overdraft fees and no minimum balance requirement, although some ATM fees will apply. Bluebird will also let customers make deposits and pay bills using their smartphones.

Users can deposit funds onto the Bluebird card in a variety of ways, including via regular direct deposits from a paycheck, according to Dan Schulman, group president of enterprise growth at American Express. The card also lets people send money directly to a customer's account using a smartphone app.

The joint effort is aimed at bringing down the rising fees associated with debit and checking services today, Schulman said. This could be particularly appealing to customers who are being hit hard with climbing bank fees across the board. According to a recent report from Bankrate.com, ATM surcharges -- the fee charged when customers use a machine that doesn't belong to their bank -- rose 4% to a record high of $2.50.

Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500) and American Express said that users will only pay fees that are "clear, transparent and within their control," such as out-of-network ATM fees.

"Our customers tell us that they're tired of navigating a complex maze of do's and don'ts to avoid the ever-growing list of fees found on checking products," said Daniel Eckert, vice president of financial services for Wal-Mart. "Bluebird solves this problem, and we believe it's the best product on the market to help customers affordably manage their everyday finances."

Related: Credit card delinquencies drop to 11-year low

Bluebird, which rolled out last spring at select Wal-Mart locations, will be available next week online at www.bluebird.com and in more than 4,000 Wal-Mart stores.

The retailer already offers customers a prepaid debt card in partnership with Green Dot (GDOT), but said that Bluebird offers customers an alternative.

Related: Wal-Mart cuts layaway fee

While Wal-Mart and American Express would not go into the details of the partnership, Eckert said that he hopes the card will help draw customers into stores.

Shares of Wal-Mart were flat, while American Express were down slightly in morning trading.

First Published: October 8, 2012: 10:10 AM ET

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Laki butuh Banyak Buah

Laki-laki membutuhkan Buah dan Sayuran yang lebih banyak per harinya  

Tahukah Anda bahwa laki-laki memerlukan lebih banyak buah dan sayuran dari pada perempuan?

Laki-laki, yang mempunyai risiko kesehatan yang lebih besar terhadap beberapa penyakit dibandingkan perempuan, sebaiknya mengkonsumsi 9 takar saji buah dan sayuran per harinya dan perempuan 7 takar saji per hari.

Buah-buahan dan sayuran mengandung banyak nutrisi penting dan kuat seperti vitamin, mineral, serat dan phytochemical yang berperan melawan penyakit, serta mengurangi risiko berbagai jenis kanker, penyakit jantung, tekanan darah tinggi dan diabetes.

Mengapa laki-laki memerlukan lebih banyak buah dan sayur dibandingkan perempuan?

Takaran yang direkomendasikan lebih banyak untuk laki-laki dibandingkan perempuan karena lebih dari 2/3 laki-laki kelebihan berat badan, serta laki-laki mempunyai risiko kematian karena penyakit tertentu, yang lebih besar dibandingkan perempuan.

Penyakit-pentakit tersebut termasuk:

• Penyakit kardiovaskular (1 kali lebih besar)
• Kanker paru-paru (sekitar 2 kali lebih tinggi)
• kanker colorectal (1 kali lebih besar)

Jumlah takaran per sajian

• 1 gelas jus buah
• 1 pisang ukuran sedang
• 1 potong sayur mentah
• 1 apel ukuran sedang
• 1 gelas sayuran masak
• 1 gelas buah kering
• 1 gelas kacang-kacangan masak

Satu takaran buah atau sayuran seharusnya muat di telapak tangan, jauh lebih sedikit daripada yang dipikirkan orang.

Cara meningkatkan asupan buah dan sayuran

• Nikmatilah buah segar di pagi hari
• Gunakan buah sebagai snack sepanjang hari
• Makanlah salad berukuran besar saat makan siang
• Konsumsilah sayuran mentah
• Konsumsilah paling tidak 2 jenis sayuran saat makan malam
• Tambahkan kacang-kacangan ke salad Anda

• Laki butuh Banyak Buah

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