Wal-Mart Stores Inc (NYSE:WMT) moved its dividend that was planned for early January into late December as it attempts to help its investors avoid an impending leap in the tax rate on shareholder payouts that is part of the so-called fiscal cliff.

Wal-Mart said in a statement that there are complex fiscal and federal tax rate issues that might not be resolved in the next few weeks, in spite of the ongoing good faith negotiations between the administration and Congress to resolve details related to the fiscal cliff.

It added in light of this uncertainty, the board determined that moving its dividend payment up by a few days to 2012 was in the best interests of their shareholders.

The family of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton owns around half of the company’s shares and most likely would have been among those forced to pay much higher taxes on dividends paid after December 31 unless Congress takes action. Rob Walton and Jim Walton, 2 of Sam Walton’s sons, are board members, and Rob Walton is chairman of the world’s biggest retailer.

******************

THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITY!

Our full disclaimer: ( http://galaxystocks.com/disclaimer)

U.S. stocks dropped, after the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell to the lowest level since June yesterday, as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT) forecast earnings that did not measure up to estimates and lawmakers prepared for budget talks.

Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, dropped 3.8% as revenue also fell short of projections. Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIAB) rose 3.7% after the media company’s earnings topped analyst estimates. NetApp Inc. (NASDAQ:NTAP) leaped 11% as profit for the 2nd quarter beat forecasts.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index slid 0.3% to 1,351.86 at 11:24 a.m. in New York. The Dow dropped 32.79 points, or 0.3%, to 12,538.16. Trading in S&P 500 companies was 8.7% higher than the 30-day average at this time of day.

******************

THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITY!

Our full disclaimer: ( http://galaxystocks.com/disclaimer)

U.S. stocks dropped as worry about the budget debate in Washington and an Israeli air strike in the Middle East stole the spotlight from an advance in technology shares after Cisco Systems Inc.’s earnings went above estimates.

Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) fell over 1.6% as financial shares sank. Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO), the world’s largest maker of computer-networking equipment, shot up 6.5%. Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) increased 7.9% as investors seized on the opportunity created by the largest increase in the number of shares freed for trading since the company went public in May.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped 0.4% to 1,369.11 at 11:15 a.m. in New York, after going up 0.4% earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 56.62 points, or 0.4%, to 12,699.56. Trading in S&P 500 companies was 6% over the 30-day average at this time of day.

Investment Dar Co., Aston Martin’s controlling shareholder has approached potential purchasers for the maker of luxury sports cars that have been a feature in James Bond movies, revealed sources.

The Kuwaiti company, which is the owner 64% of Aston Martin based in Gaydon, U.K. has hired Rothschild to give them advice on the sale, said one of the people, who asked not to remain anonymous because the talks are private. The Indian automaker, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (MM) is within the group of potential suitors Investment Dar has approached in recent few months, two of the sources revealed.

A sale has proven very hard because investors have not been willing to match the price the Kuwaiti owner paid 5 years ago, said two of the sources. Investment Dar has sought about $800 million for its stake, one person revealed.

For Kuwait’s Investment Dar, part of the group that purchased Aston Martin for 503 million pounds ($805 million) in 2007, the proceeds would assist the company in paying off debt. A new backer for Aston Martin may assist the maker of the 1.2-million-pound One-77 to develop cars that can challenge Volkswagen AG (VOW)’s Bentley and Fiat SpA (F)’s Ferrari.

******************

THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITY!

Disclaimer: Never invest in any stock featured on our site or emails unless you can afford to lose your entire investment. galaxystocks.com publisher and its affiliates and contractors are not registered investment advisers or broker/dealers. Our disclaimer ( http://galaxystocks.com/disclaimer) is to be read and fully understood before using our site, reading our newsletter or joining our email list. Release of Liability: Through use of this website viewing or using, you agree to hold galaxystocks.com report and Crown Equity Holdings Inc. CRWE, its operators, shareholders, employees and/or contractors harmless and to completely release them from any and all liability due to any and all loss (monetary or otherwise), damages (monetary or otherwise) that you may occur. Rule 17B requires disclosure of payment for investor relations. Crown Equity Holdings Inc. (CRWE) is a media-advertisement and newswire company. Crown Equity Holdings Inc. (CRWE), in some cases, provides media advertising and public awareness for both public and private companies, as well as disseminating news. As such, in some cases, when Crown Equity Holdings Inc. (CRWE) advertises for a particular client, Crown Equity Holdings Inc. (CRWE) charges an advertising fee which it must disclose under 17B. The fee may be in cash, in free trading stock or in restricted stock. Crown Equity Holdings Inc. (CRWE), if paid in stock, can and may sell those securities during the advertising period.

A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS) commodities trader was blamed by U.S. regulators of concealing an $8.3 billion position and being the cause of the firm to lose $118 million.

In 2007, Matthew Marshall Taylor made up trades and blocked the firm’s discovery of his position, risk and profits and losses, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission said in a complaint filed yesterday in federal court in New York.

Taylor hid the position by bypassing the firm’s internal system for routing trades to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and manually entering made-up futures trades in a different internal system, according to the complaint. Goldman Sachs, which was not identified in the CFTC lawsuit, said Taylor allegedly made the trades while an employee at the firm.

******************

THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITY!

Disclaimer: Never invest in any stock featured on our site or emails unless you can afford to lose your entire investment. galaxystocks.com publisher and its affiliates and contractors are not registered investment advisers or broker/dealers. Our disclaimer ( http://galaxystocks.com/disclaimer) is to be read and fully understood before using our site, reading our newsletter or joining our email list. Release of Liability: Through use of this website viewing or using, you agree to hold galaxystocks.com report and Crown Equity Holdings Inc. CRWE, its operators, shareholders, employees and/or contractors harmless and to completely release them from any and all liability due to any and all loss (monetary or otherwise), damages (monetary or otherwise) that you may occur. Rule 17B requires disclosure of payment for investor relations. Crown Equity Holdings Inc. (CRWE) is a media-advertisement and newswire company. Crown Equity Holdings Inc. (CRWE), in some cases, provides media advertising and public awareness for both public and private companies, as well as disseminating news. As such, in some cases, when Crown Equity Holdings Inc. (CRWE) advertises for a particular client, Crown Equity Holdings Inc. (CRWE) charges an advertising fee which it must disclose under 17B. The fee may be in cash, in free trading stock or in restricted stock. Crown Equity Holdings Inc. (CRWE), if paid in stock, can and may sell those securities during the advertising period.