Stocks

Star 40

Cerner tops Star 40; others in economic ‘sweet spots’ also doing well

It was a safe bet that Cerner Corp. would once again lead the The Star’s rankings as the region’s top-performing public company. Cerner, the nation’s second-largest company that helps hospitals and doctors’ offices convert paper files into computerized medical records, is in a sweet spot. Other top-ranked companies here do business in areas that have an edge: energy, rail transit and online government services.

Star 40: Wealth soared in 2012 for KC companies' executives

The already-hefty pay packages of many public-company executives bulged last year, thanks to higher values of their company stocks. Million-dollar base salaries – as paid to Cerner Corp. CEO Neal Patterson (pictured) and Waddell & Reed Financial CEO Hank Herrmann – are only the beginning. For most of the bigger-company CEOs, stock awards, options and “non-equity incentive” compensation dwarf their base pay.

Cityscape

Dollars & Sense

Privacy questions are raised about Google Glass

The wearable computer that can take pictures and videos and share information via the Internet poses potential concerns that need to be discussed with regulators, watchdogs from the European Union, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico said in a letter to Google chief executive Larry Page.

Technology

Workplace

Development

Talking Business

The art of revising the GDP

The Bureau of Economic Analysis will begin recognize spending on research and development. And, take another deep breath, it will begin counting investment in the creation of entertainment, literary and other artistic originals.

Bull market looks to have further to run

The bulls have been feeding on a host of good economic news and are licking their chops for more. Still, given the last five lousy years, many of us are watching the battered bears up in those trees, wondering whether they’re going to climb down soon and eat the market rally for lunch.

National, International Business news