Four takeaways from SPX Corp.’s 2014 earnings

SPX Corp. reported 2014 earnings of $397.9 million, for adjusted earnings $9.25 per share, this week and investors reacted well.

The stock rose sharply Thursday, closing at $90.18 from a close of $88.81 Wednesday. A lot of the positive reaction came in response to the strong fourth quarter. SPX reported an operating profit of $177.3 million, for adjusted earnings of $2.36 per share, better than the consensus analysts’ estimates of $2.21 per share.

But what interests investors, and observers in…

Hawaii gas prices edge downward as Mainland prices rise

The average price of gas in Hawaii continued to dip last week, bucking the trend toward higher pump prices on the Mainland.

But the pace of decline appears to be slowing in the Islands.

The average price of a gallon of regular was $3.04 this week, a nickel less than a week ago, 38 cents less than a month ago, and a buck less than at this time in 2014, according to AAA Hawaii’s Weekend Gas Watch.

Honolulu had the lowest average price at $2.93, down just a penny a gallon from last week. Hilo on…

Scalability is the name of the game at Optoro

Scalability is the name of the game at Optoro, according to CEO Tobin Moore.

The Lanham-based retail company, which uses big data to identify buyers for returned and excess items — a $500 billion market in the U.S. accounting for 15 percent of all goods sold, according to the company — expects to grow its business primarily with its current client base, Moore told me.

The company would not disclose its revenue or client list, but said it currently supports about 30 retailers, all of which are…

Hawaii's Jay Shidler, Omidyars among top 50 American philanthropists in 2014

Three Hawaii residents — eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife, Pam Omidyar, and Honolulu real estate investor Jay Shidler — were among the top 50 American philanthropists in 2014, according to a new list by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Pam and Pierre Omidyar gave $180 million to charitable initiatives in 2014, ranking them No. 12. Shidler donated $69 million in 2014, ranking him No. 32.

Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, and Pam Omidyar, chairwoman of HopeLab, sent most of their money…

Forestar agrees to nominate activist investor-backed directors to board

Forestar Group Inc., under pressure from a group of activist investors to alter the makeup of its board of directors, said Monday it has agreed to make several changes to the board.

Forestar (NYSE: FOR) said it had reached a deal with the investor group, headed by SpringOwl Associates LLC and Cove Street Capital LLC, to appoint two new directors, while announcing the resignation of one director and the retirement of another. The board is now comprised of 12 directors.

Effective Monday, SpringOwl…