Tempur-Pedic to Change Company Name + MORE

May 23 (Bloomberg) — Farmland values in the U.S. Midwest
jumped 15 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, the
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has said. Bloomberg analyst
Eric Balchunas discusses two exchange-traded products that may
benefit as farmland values increase. Bloomberg Radio’s
Catherine Cowdery reports on Exchange Traded Funds.

12 pounds per gallon.

Commentary: Instead of blasting Tim Cook, senators should scrap the corporate tax.

Hormel is very well-run and has above-average growth prospects, but investors have already bid the shares up accordingly    

Filed under: Investing

Tempur-Pedic International has woken up with a new name. Stockholders at the firm’s annual general meeting approved a change to the company’s appellation; it is now to be known as Tempur Sealy International. The change reflects the company’s acquisition of fellow mattress maker Sealy, which was completed this past March…

It is now to be known as Tempur Sealy International.    

It's no secret that J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) has become a retail disaster over the past five years.

The top line has fallen each year since 2007, from sales of $19.9 billion to last year's $12.9 billion. Earnings have followed suit, slipping from 2007's profit of $1.15 billion to a net loss of $985 million in 2012…

The U.S. is in the midst of a robust housing recovery.
There’s no denying it… The evidence has been mounting for several quarters now. Home prices are on the rise and the number of distressed houses on the market is dropping steadily. In some key real estate markets, there are even reports of shortages of available homes on the market…

Japan’s Nikkei index sold off 7% overnight on ugly China manufacturing news. But is this the beginning of the end for China and Asia, or just a short-term reaction after a red-hot market heads into a holiday weekend after some bad headlines?
A little of both, says Charles Sizemore. While winding down the short yen, long Nikkei trade is certainly a player here there are bigger demographic factors at play here beyond currencies and exports…