•Amazon.com is raising the price of its two-day shipping membership, Amazon Prime, from $79 a year to $99 as a result of rising shipping costs. Members worried about getting their money’s worth should know that in addition to the fast shipping, instant video streaming and Kindle benefits, the e-commerce giant is also developing a music-streaming service for Prime members.
• While much of the country is still enduring a harsh winter filled with snow and record-low temperatures, the economy just might be ready to shake off some of its winter blues. Manufacturing output jumped 0.8 percent in February, which is the highest gain since August and beat out expectations of a 0.2 percent increase.
• Tesla Motors Inc. will be forced to stop selling its luxury electric vehicles in New Jersey on Tuesday, April 1. The state has decided it will not grant the auto company a license to directly sell vehicles to consumers without the use of a franchised dealer.
• This has been a week for initial public offerings. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., the Chinese e-commerce giant filed for a U.S. IPO, which would be one of the largest in market history. GoDaddy Group Inc., famous for its risqué Super Bowl commercials, is also preparing for its IPO. Finally, King Digital Entertainment PLC, known for creating the “Candy Crush” game, is expected to be valued at around $7.6 billion in its IPO later this month.
All information from the Wall Street Journal.
