Some of the more interesting and important items for April 28th :

• Asus Transformer Tablets Sold Out–Short Supply or Big Demand? | John Paczkowski | Digital Daily | AllThingsD – Apple investors unsettled by reports claiming the Asus Transformer tablet is co-opting iPad demand can rest easy. The threat here appears to be a bit less than what it’s been made out to be. While it’s true that the device sold out quickly online at retailers like Amazon.com and Best Buy, the reason for those first-day stockouts seems to be more a case of piddling inventory than a surge of overwhelming demand.
• Silver ETF Soars Past SPY As Most Active; Weekly Volume Up 444% – Focus on Funds – Barrons.com – For a second-straight day, shares of the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) have finished on top as the most active ETF in the U.S. market. Nearly 180 million shares were traded on Thursday, according to the New York Stock Exchange.
• Total to Buy Up to 60% of SunPower for $1.38 Billion in Clean-Energy Push – Bloomberg – Total SA (FP), Europe’s third-biggest oil producer, agreed to buy as much as 60 percent of SunPower Corp. (SPWRA) for $1.38 billion, to profit from the global transition to clean energy.
• Economy in U.S. Grows Less-Than-Forecast 1.8% as Government Spending Drops – Bloomberg – The U.S. economy slowed more than forecast in the first quarter as government spending declined by the most since 1983 and household purchases cooled.
• Dollar Index Set for Longest Losing Run in 6 Months on Economy – Bloomberg – The Dollar Index headed for a fifth weekly decline, its longest losing streak in six months, before U.S. reports that economists said will show consumer spending cooled and businesses expanded at a slower pace.
• Australia treasurer: Consumer spending weak – MarketWatch – SYDNEY -(MarketWatch)- Australia Treasurer Wayne Swan Friday said consumer spending is weak and likely to remain subdued as shoppers save more and spend less despite the country benefitting from a mining boom.
• Yuan Breaks Through 6.5 Per Dollar for First Time Since 1993 – Bloomberg – China’s yuan strengthened beyond 6.5 per dollar for the first time since 1993, supported by speculation the central bank will allow appreciation to help tame the fastest inflation in more than two years.
• RIM Cuts Profit Forecast as BlackBerry Demand Falls Short – Bloomberg – Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM), facing intensifying competition from Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Google Inc. (GOOG), plunged in late trading after cutting profit forecasts on slower-than-expected demand for BlackBerry smartphones.