Get ready to play Candy Crush — the stock, not the game.
Shares of King Digital Entertainment, which makes Candy Crush Saga, begin trading Wednesday. The game is addictive, and the IPO could sparkle, but some analysts say you might be wise to keep your distance from the stock. They worry the gaming company will never again have such a big hit as Candy Crush. King Digital says it gets 1.1 billion daily game plays of Candy Crush. The IPO values the game maker at $7 billion.
If you prefer your entertainment on the big screen instead of the little screen, listen up. The number of tickets sold at movie theaters fell by 1.5 percent last year. Apparently, there’s too much competition out there from Netflix (NFLX) and other movie streaming options, as well as cable on-demand services. In addition, ticket prices keep going up. The average rose to $8.13 last year.
For the second year in a row, Google (GOOG) is the top choice in a survey of more than 46,000 undergraduate students as the most attractive employer.
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It came in number one among business and computer science majors. It was third for engineers, behind Boeing (BA) and NASA. About one in five business students put Google among its top five choices. Walt Disney (DIS) was the second highest ranked company. The survey, conducted by Universum, found that consulting firms such as EY, Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers, were also highly sought after by business students.
Here on Wall Street Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) rose 91 points Tuesday, the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) and the Standard & Poor’s 500 index (^GPSC) both rose by about 8 points.
Finally, Hasbro (HAS) is working on a special edition Monopoly game that changes the rules to reflect how many of us really play the game. The company is asking fans to discuss and vote on 10 different “house rules” that many people use. Hasbro will then pick five of them for the special edition game.
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Our lives are busy, and taxpayers may forget what donations they gave last year may get them a bigger refund. If you cleaned out your bulging closet and dropped off clothing or household goods at your favorite charity, don’t forget this may be deductible on your tax return.
1. Charitable contributions.
Taxpayers taking a full course load and working toward a degree can receive education benefits through the American Opportunity Tax Credit for college expenses, but those who took even just one class to further their career may be able to take the tuition and fees deduction. With this credit, you can deduct up to $4,000 for tuition and fees, books and educational supplies for you, your spouse or dependents. This tax deduction is especially important to remember if you qualify because the offer expires after tax year 2013.
2. Tuition and fees deduction.
Taxpayers can deduct state income taxes, but what about people who live in states that don’t have a state income tax? The state and local sales tax deduction is useful for those who don’t pay state income tax because they can deduct sales tax paid on purchases. Even people who live in states that pay state income tax can benefit if they paid more sales tax due to large purchases. This is another tax that is going away after the 2013 tax year, so don’t miss out on this one.
3. State and sales tax deduction.
The earned income tax credit is a refundable tax credit given to filers who earn low- to moderate- income from their jobs. The credit can be worth up to $6,044, depending on income and how many dependents you have, but one in five tax filers overlook this opportunity, according to the Internal Revenue Service. You have to file your taxes in order to get it, so even if you make less than $10,000 (the IRS’ minimum income filing requirement) you should still file your taxes.
4. Earned income tax credit.
If you were looking for a job last year, you may be able to deduct costs related to your job search – even if you didn’t secure a new one. Job search expenses such as preparing and sending resumes, fees to placement agencies and even travel related to searching for a new job can be included.
5. Job searching.
This credit is often overlooked and seldom talked about, but if you have an income up to $29,500 ($59,000 for married filing jointly) you can save for retirement and get an tax credit worth up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for couples if you contributed to a qualifying retirement plan such as an individual retirement account or 401(k). The retirement savers tax credit is a win-win situation since contributions to your IRA may also be a deduction from income.
6. Retirement saver's credit.
Taxpayers who weren’t so lucky gambling last year should know that their losses can be deducted if they itemize their deductions. However, your amount of losses cannot surpass your winnings, which must be reported as taxable income. For example, if you have $2,000 in winnings and $4,000 in losses, your deduction is limited to $2,000. Make sure you have documentation such as receipts, tickets and other records to support your losses.
7. Gambling losses
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