Master Blenders ATTACK Kraft and 3 Stock Stories Attracting Interest Now

Sotheby’s (NYSE:BID): The company’s real estate unit plans to make a foray in H1 2013 into the Chinese luxury property markets in Beijing and Shanghai; the company had so far held off entering China until it had a better handle on its property market, though it had affiliates present in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Don’t Miss: IT’S OFFICIAL! Microsoft Will Acquire Yammer for This Hefty Sum.

Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) and Progress Energy (NYSE:PGN) are looking at a July 1 date to solemnize their $13.7 billion merger after they agreed to conditions set by federal regulators.

Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW):  The leading online travel company is trying out displaying different search results depending on whether the surfer is using a PC or Mac. The company apparently found that Mac users are bigger spenders – they could spend up to 30 percent more on a hotel night, and are 40 percent likelier to book a 4 or 5 star hotel compared to PC users.

Kraft (NYSE:KFT) and Nestle (DANOY.PK) face intense competition from D.E. Master Blenders, a former unit of Sara Lee, which is attacking the coffee and tea market with a cash chest of $1.3 billion that could build on the 5.9 percent market share its Douwe Egberts brand already owns in the global coffee market; emerging markets could provide the boost Master Blenders is looking for.

Don’t Miss: Are Americans BOOSTING These Top 7 Restaurant Stocks?