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Anheuser-Busch's share of the lucrative U.S. beer market spiked in the past year despite difficult market conditions. What's its secret? BudNet, a data-mining operation in which thousands of representatives and drivers for beer distributors report daily, in excruciating detail, on sales, shelf stocks and displays at thousands of outlets, Business 2.0 says. Anheuser uses the data to constantly adjust marketing strategies. So when you bought that six-pack of Bud Light at Circle K, Anheuser servers likely recorded what you paid, when the beer was brewed, if you bought it warm or cold and whether you could have gotten a better deal down the street.
Here's a stock tip from Harvard Business School professor Donald Sull: Don't put money in companies that show their corporate pride with trophy buildings. "These headquarters can mark the beginning of corporate decline," Sull says, citing Levi Strauss, Gap and Alcoa. Another example: Time Warner broke ground on its massive new Manhattan headquarters three years ago. In that time, its stock plunged 65 percent.
For a second straight year, Wal-Mart has topped Fortune magazine's list of the 10 most admired companies - as rated by 10,000 executives, directors and securities analysts. Though recent bad publicity about Wal-Mart hasn't dimmed the business world's view of the megaretailer, Fortune asked in a separate article, "Should we admire Wal-Mart?" The article concludes: "If you're a consumer, Wal-Mart is good for you. If you're a wage earner, there's a good chance it's bad."
After 21/2 years of travel doldrums, Americans are lining up at the passport office again. Passport applications shot up 13 percent between October and February, according to the State Department. If the pace continues, this could be the biggest year ever for passport issuance.
Low home-equity loan interest rates can be attractive as homeowners look to consolidate other, higher-cost debt. But Cambridge Credit Counseling Corp. warns homeowners to use caution and not continue to spend feverishly just because monthly payments are lower. Cambridge suggests homeowners make a budget, and keep in mind that housing values can decline so they could end up owing more on their house than it is worth.- Compiled from Times wires and Web sites