U.S. stocks had been on fire. The technology and internet boom spurred a wave of day traders and investment mania that now seems quaint. But at the time, the Dow Jones industrial average index was hovering around 10,000. And even in those heady days, forecasting a near-quadrupling of the index appeared naïve at best and ridiculous at worst.
Read moreDon't Panic About the Stock Market—Yet
There is only one question to ask on this manic Monday: Is the global market turmoil that has now spread to Wall Street a summer squall—a painful but ultimately transitory surge in volatility—or is it the first crack in a shaky global edifice that is about to crumble?
Read moreThe Virtues of This Boring U.S. Stock Market
So here we are, more than halfway through the year, and although there has been no dearth of daily news, it’s been remarkably static for many investments, particularly U.S. equities. Some sectors — energy and commodities above all — have been spectacularly weak as the global economy continues to adjust to massive supply and demand shifts, especially lower demand from China. A few sectors, notably technology, have done quite well, with several technology indexes up close to 10% year-to-date. But in aggregate, U.S equities have had one of their least volatile and least interesting six month periods in a very long while.
Read moreStocks Rebound; Pros Pick Stocks
Discussing stock picks right now, with Zachary Karabell, Envestnet, and Jason Lilly, Rockland Trust.
Read moreEasy Money
In the past few months, stock markets around the world have continued to rally modestly while bond yields around the world have continued their quiet decline. This is not what most expected, especially after December, when the Federal Reserve began paring back its hypereasy money policy of “quantitative easing.”
Read moreThe Zombie Numbers That Rule the U.S. Economy
This Thursday the Conference Board, a global business association, released its monthly index of “leading economic indicators.” Like the unemployment and inflation, housing starts, G.D.P. changes and other figures, these numbers arrive in metronomic waves.
Read moreSafe Markets???
Albuquerque Financial Expert and Founder of Portfolio Wealth Advisers Lee Munson is asked his opinions on the stock markets recent surge. Is this another 2000 or can we continue to expand our economy? None of this is as important as having a solid game plan matched with a better investment philosophy. Zachary Karabell, Envestnet head of global strategy, sees a lot of skepticism of what's behind the rally as markets continue to go up. Lee Munson, Portfolio Asset Management, weighs in.
Read moreBells Are Ringing! Confidence Rises as the Dow—Finally—Hits 13,000 Again
The Dow Jones industrial average briefly flirted with 13,000 today, marking the first time since May 2008 that the august index has reached that level. The number is purely symbolic, of course, but the steady rise of stocks this year (with the major indices up anywhere from 5 to 10 percent) has taken many by surprise, none more than Wall Street professionals who have assumed a Greek default and the ensuing financial catastrophe to be a near certainty. Instead of a Europe-led meltdown, we are witnessing a melt-up.
Read moreWall Street Markets Collapse After Jobs Report and Double-Dip Recession Fears
U.S. stocks finished with mixed gains and losses on Friday, as investors responded to progress in today's jobs report and in the eurozone's debt crisis. The Dow rose 61 points as investors learned that Italy will speed up austerity measures. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi pledged that Italy would balance its budget by 2013, one year earlier than originally planned.
Read moreThe Faulty Logic Behind the Market Sell-off
Stock Plunge, Day Two: How the Dow is Dealing with Japan
For the second day in the row, the US stock market plunged, and then bounced back. Hurt, yes, but shares were not beaten, even as investors had to worry about the double whammy of concerns of nuclear contamination in Japan and a housing report that showed new home construction plunged more than it had in 27 months. On Wednesday, the Dow Jones industrial average dropped nearly 300, before ending the day down 240 points. It wasn’t as big a bounce back on Tuesday, but we still didn’t end the day at the lows, which was a good sign.
Read moreDow 11000 Is Only the Beginning
So we're almost there. The Dow is flirting with 11000 for the first time since October 2008—after falling to a low of 6500 in March last year. Now seems an appropriate time to ask whether the dramatic recovery of stocks is sustainable and to speculate about what comes next.
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