Executive compensation - particularly bonuses - has been the source of much fury both on Capitol Hill and on Main Street. The Obama administration has also set it sights on these pay packages, most recently by cracking down on executive compensation at bailed-out firms. Given the attention being paid to multi-million dollar paydays, CNBC.com enlisted the help of Equilar, an executive compensation research firm, to find out which executives received the most massive bonus payouts of the decade.
Unemployment hit 8.9 percent in April and some predict that number could climb to over 10 percent in 2009 as major companies streamline operations to combat the recession. But how far can this streamlining really go? For many companies, revenues hinge on worker productivity, and for most operations, per-worker profits and revenues are many multiples of average employee salaries. The measure of revenue per employee also helps shed light on a firm's money-making efficiency and likelihood it will retain jobs. The best companies require the least number of workers to make the most money.
The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index is a global commodity benchmark which tracks 19 mostly U.S. traded commodities and has led a rally in the past weeks with a year-to-date performance surpassing the S&P, currently up 10% versus 3% YTD, driven in part by a depreciating dollar and speculation of an economic recovery.... Read More