Chin Up in the Downswing

The green energy sector is creating jobs and inspiring ecologically sound investment—and other companies to do likewise.

While soon-to-be brides and grooms are trimming their budgets here and there, providers of recession-friendly wedding accoutrements are thriving.

Iconic Canadian brands have held strong during the recession, seeing expansion into America and partnership with U.S. companies. Part of the key to their success is making consumers relate to their brands.

Thanks in part to today’s tech-savvy youth, the electronics sector is powering forward.

Grocery stores, from nationwide chains to local convenience stores, are reporting resilient sales figures. Whatever the economic conditions, people need to eat.

Positive business and financial news of June 5, 2009: Emerging markets are poised to recover well from the recession.

TiVo and Netflix’s recent performance show how easy access plus affordability means success during the economic downturn.

Although sales of videogames were sluggish during March and April, investors are voicing their confidence in the industry.

Thanks to deft management practices and affordable prices, some restaurant chains are weathering the recession well.

The music industry continues to struggle with creating a viable business model for online music. But recent sales figures suggest digital music holds promise for major labels and up-and-coming acts alike.

The recession has inspired positive holistic change in American society, and what might be bad for business may actually be good for people.

Observers keep saying the economy’s dreary days are coming to an end. Backing up those claims are strong regional bank numbers and Wall Street’s overall rally.

Print media is certainly struggling to find its way at the moment. Yet despite the industry’s troubles, investors see promise within the segment.

Tech and telecoms stocks continue to show recessionary steadfastness, with the latest good news coming from Virgin Mobile and Dish Network. Plus, Microsoft is launching its first-ever bond offering on the back of its top credit rating.

Positive financial news to close out the week: the latest Labor Department data shows fewer first-time applicants for unemployment, retailers posted better-than-expected results for April and more economists are joining the optimism bandwagon.

Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke; Janet Yellen, the head of the San Francisco Fed, and several chief executives—including new media darling JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon—agree: the economy is on track to recovery.

The number of existing home sales went up in March, construction spending is improving and Estee Lauder’s recent quarterly report shows hope for luxury beauty products.

Among May’s first upbeat business stories: the Reuters/University of Michigan Consumer Confidence Index and the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index both see growth; repair shops benefit from tightened budgets.

The month of April closes out with promising U.S. consumer spending figures, better-than-expected performance from Procter & Gamble and Dow Chemical and hope for the global economy, courtesy of China’s stimulus package.

April 29’s upbeat news from the financial world: Q1 numbers for telecom Qwest, defense contractor General Dynamics and film studio DreamWorks are looking positive.

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer and clothing label Under Armour outperformed Wall Street projections during the first three months of 2009. Meanwhile, the latest Conference Board confidence index shows the highest monthly jump in four years.

Bright spots in business April 27, 2009: An industry analyst says swine flu is not the next SARS, Verizon is the latest communications company to beat earnings projections and a private equity investor feels confident about investing in India’s emerging market economy.

Business news to feel good about this Friday: Ford is poised on the road to recovery. Meanwhile, Amazon and Microsoft post encouraging earnings and Netflix smashes analyst estimates.

Positive business news for April 23, 2009: Radio Shack and Apple post significant year-on-year Q1 profits and Packaging Corp. of America beat earnings estimates.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner says the economy is showing “some signs of stabilization”; institutional investors’ confidence is at a nine-month high and Wells Fargo announced a 53 percent increase in profits during Q1 2009.

Upbeat news from the business world on April 21: Q1 numbers are on track to beat analyst projections; gypsum wallboard maker USG shows signs of rebound, suggesting recovery in the construction sector; a British business group says the UK economy has bottomed out.

Encouraging business and financial news of April 20, 2009: Bank of America and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Co. both posted growth in first-quarter net income. Meanwhile, heart-valve manufacturer ATS Medical is looking increasingly healthy.

Feel-good business and financial news of April 17, 2009: Citigroup and GE’s first-quarter reports surpass projections; the Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary consumer sentiment index shows shoppers are feeling better about the economy.

Among today’s positive news from the business and financial world: JPMorgan Chase posts Q1 revenues of nearly 48 percent; Regions Financial expects Q1 profits and the movie theater segment is poised for continued strong performance.

Positive financial and business headlines today include an uptick in U.S. homebuilders’ and U.K. surveyors’ numbers; there’s also cheaper money to be lent between banks, which means more consumer access to funds.