Swine flu as profit-driver, and ABC as Hulu booster

GOOD DAY FOR: 3M and Kimberly-Clark, as the two companies are the among a small handful of manufacturers of N95-rated respiratory masks—the only ones sophisticated enough to protect the wearer from swine flu. People are snapping up the masks faster than 3M, Kimberly-Clark, and the other N95 mask producers are able to make them. (Bloomberg)

BAD DAY FOR: iTunes, after Disney’s ABC network agreed to start streaming its shows on Hulu, owned by rivals NBC and Fox. The free, ad-supported Hulu could pose a formidable challenge to the rent- or purchase-to-view model used by Apple’s iTunes. The deal also leaves CBS, the owner of Hulu rival TV.com, standing apart from the other networks. (BusinessWeek)

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