Nov 10: ... stocks and oil are surging. Or is it the other way around? Figuring out the cause and effect could help determine what's next for the economy.
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Nov 9: Market bears outnumber bulls by a wide margin. But stocks continue to climb nonetheless -- and despite evidence that a recovery won't be smooth.
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Nov 6: Stock splits don't change the value of a company. But a lower share price for Warren Buffett's firm (and other triple-digit stocks) could attract more investors.
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Nov 5: Wall Street's excited about Motorola for the first time in awhile thanks to new smartphones. But the stock's more than doubled this year. It's time to hang up.
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Nov 4: The price of gold is flirting with $1,100 an ounce. Many other precious metals continue to surge. How much higher can gold go - and what's it all mean?
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Nov 3: Berkshire Hathaway's acquisition of railroad Burlington Northern may boost the transportation industry -- and that could be a good sign for the economy.
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Nov 2: U.S. Bancorp, a top holding of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, is taking over a large failed bank. If the Oracle of Omaha is a fan, should you be buying?
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Oct 30: These blue chips are down in this year's up market. But it may make sense to buy some of the year's biggest losers. Many of 2008's tricks are 2009's treats.
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Oct 29: The economy grew at a slightly better-than-expected clip in the third quarter. But that probably won't cause the Fed to consider raising interest rates just yet.
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Oct 28: GMAC is looking for a third bailout. So much for pay cuts helping the Not-So-Magnificent Seven TARP recipients to pay back taxpayers more quickly.
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Oct 27: Banks, emerging markets and techs are on fire. And while there are some signs of economic improvement, some worry that it's not enough to sustain the rally.
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Oct 26: Amazon and Netflix just hit all-time highs while other dot-coms surge, too. Unlike 10 years ago, online retail leaders are profitable and most don't look overvalued.
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Oct 23: Copper. Yes, gold and oil are getting all the attention in the commodity bull run. But copper prices are surging, too -- and that's actually a good economic sign.
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Oct 21: Repeat after us. There is no strong recovery without job growth. There is no strong recovery without job growth. Why does Wall Street not get that?
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Oct 20: Higher energy prices are a sign the economy is getting better. But with oil nearing $80 and gas inching toward $3, some fear a further spike could derail a recovery.
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Oct 19: Stocks have soared thanks to 'strong' earnings reports. But some worry that the Dow's move above 10,000 has been fueled by hot air.
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Oct 9: There may be a lot of talk about the need to replace the dollar as the global reserve currency. But for now, that's all it is. Talk.
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Oct 6: Economists argue that job growth always lags following a recession. But this time may be different. It's hard to have a recovery with unemployment near 10%.
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Oct 5: Companies are about to start reporting third-quarter results. Cost cutting may once again drive profits, but when will revenues make a comeback?
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Oct 2: The bond market has rallied lately, pushing long-term interest rates lower. That could be a sign that economic recovery hopes are fading. Or not.
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Oct 1: Investors need to be wary of getting burned by unsubstantiated takeover chatter.
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Sep 30: Shares of newspaper publishers, broadcasters and other 'old' media firms are on fire. Is it because advertising and the economy are really making a comeback?
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Sep 29: Short sellers profited handsomely when bank stocks tanked. But as the market heads higher, bears may actually be helping to fuel the rally. That's healthy.
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Sep 28: The Dow suffered its biggest point drop ever a year ago -- but also its biggest point gain. Now, stocks are rallying in an orderly fashion. Thank heavens for that.
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Sep 23: The Fed risks an inflation nightmare by keeping interest rates low indefinitely. But some economists think that's a problem that can be dealt with next year.
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Sep 22: The Dow is approaching the five-digit level for the first time since October. Is that evidence of an economic recovery or a sign the rally's running out of steam?
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Sep 21: Dell and Adobe paid sweet premiums for Perot and Omniture. And more big tech mergers are likely as Microsoft, Cisco and Google all sit on massive piles of cash.
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Sep 18: The Fed is reportedly looking to monitor banker pay in order to discourage excessive risk-taking. But aren't the Fed's easy money policies encouraging risk?
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Sep 17: Wall Street loves GE again. The stock's up this year and the worst may be over for GE Capital and NBC. But is GE (and the broader market) now overpriced?
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Sep 16: The Treasury keeps churning out debt and China is still buying. But with the dollar faltering and a trade spat brewing, will China continue to buy U.S. bonds?
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Sep 15: Transportation stocks may seem so 19th century. But the fact that they've taken part in the market's surge could mean that the economy really is on the upswing.
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Sep 14: The U.S. placed tariffs on Chinese tires, and China struck back with a probe of U.S. chickens. The tension needs to pass. Protectionism could hurt a recovery.
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Sep 11: A group of banks that turned down TARP funds have outperformed banks that received gobs of support. It just goes to show that not all banks needed a rescue.
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Sep 10: Stocks have erased much of last year's losses. But while the worst may be over, many of last year's problems haven't gone away.
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Sep 9: Investors are shunning the greenback in favor of stocks, commodities and other currencies. Can the dollar keep falling for much longer?
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Sep 8: Silver has outperformed the yellow metal in recent months - and the silver spike might have more to do with a global economic recovery than inflation fears.
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Sep 4: The economy seems to be improving. That may lead to increased demand for air travel. But airline stocks have nearly doubled since March. Fasten your seatbelts.
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Sep 3: With gold nearing last year's highs, it's a cause for concern. But it is probably more a sign of long-term inflation worries than fear of another financial collapse.
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Sep 2: Wall Street's so-called fear gauge, the VIX, has shot up this week. But with levels still well below last fall's peak, this is just a cause for mild concern, not panic.
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Sep 1: Investors are slowly starting to differentiate between financial stocks that are still troubled and those that are in better shape. It's about time.
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Aug 31: Walt Disney's acquisition of Marvel Entertainment and a $5.5 billion deal in the oil patch could be a sign that the merger market is heating up again.
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Aug 28: Highly speculative financial and consumer stocks have led a sleepy summer rally. Will investors start acting more rationally after Labor Day?
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Aug 27: The $1 DVD rental service is making some studios anxious -- and investors in Redbox owner Coinstar rich. But could Hollywood put Redbox out of business?
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Aug 26: Struggling financial firms Citi, BofA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are dominating late summer Wall Street trading. Uh-oh. Who says speculation is dead?
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Aug 25: News Corp. is reported to be shopping the Dow Jones index group. But it's unthinkable for the DJIA to have another name.
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Aug 24: The greenback has slid as investors flood back into stocks and commodities on end of recession hopes. But shouldn't a recovery be good news for the dollar?
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Aug 21: Fears of a drastic overhaul are fading. So why are managed care stocks still trading as if the government is going to eat all their profits?
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Aug 20: Sure, big banks like Citigroup and Bank of America may have bottomed, but some think the sector still isn't out of the woods yet -- including bankers.
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Aug 19: The search engine titan's stock has more than quintupled since it went public in August 2004. But will Google's next five years be as successful as the past five?
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Aug 18: There are growing fears that talk of a recovery is a Wall Street illusion and that the economy could dip into recession again if the job market doesn't improve soon.
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Aug 17: China's sovereign wealth fund may take part in plans to buy up toxic assets from banks. That could be a strong endorsement for the slow to develop PPIP.
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Aug 7: The world didn't end when Twitter went down. Yes, the site is great for sharing information. But the obsession with and fawning over Twitter is so overdone.
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Aug 6: Sirius XM is losing money - and subscribers. But if the auto industry continues to rebound thanks to Cash for Clunkers, the company may have a new lease on life.
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Aug 5: Don't mistake a turnaround at organic grocery king Whole Foods as a sign that consumers are going to start spending healthily anytime soon.
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Aug 4: Although the savings rate dipped in June, economists think it may be a temporary blip -- which is good for the long term but bad for the short term.
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Aug 3: Rising energy prices are a sign that the economy is improving. But at some point, higher oil and gas costs could jeopardize chances for a sustained recovery.
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Jul 31: Wall Street was buoyed by the GDP report. But consumers still aren't spending. And until they do, investors may have to be wary of the recovery talk.
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Jul 30: Mortgage firm run by ex-Countrywide execs flops in IPO. Buying bad loans makes sense, but competition's tough and banks don't want to sell on the cheap.
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Jul 29: Chinese stocks are on fire and banks are lending like there's no tomorrow. Sound familiar? But China needs to remain healthy. The U.S. can't afford for it to slump.
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Jul 28: Consumer confidence fell in July, but is up sharply from record lows earlier this year. Still, until consumers start spending, it doesn't matter how people feel.
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Jul 27: Even if the government reports a surprise boost to second quarter GDP, few economists are predicting a massive recovery just yet.
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Jul 24: Something is missing from the round of 'strong' earnings results. What is it? Oh yeah. Sales! Companies can't cost cut their way to prosperity forever.
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Jul 23: Big Pharma's profits could be hurt by health care reform. That's one reason why drugmakers are rushing to scoop up biotechs with growth potential.
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Jul 22: Plans for the firm's GE Capital unit to leave a FDIC debt guarantee program months early could be a sign that credit markets are returning to normal. Or not.
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Jul 21: The Fed chairman faces the tough challenge of making sure the greenback doesn't continue to weaken. But a much stronger dollar won't help either.
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Jul 20: Happy days appear to be here again on Wall Street. And while some optimism is warranted, investors need to be wary when the market's ignoring caution signs.
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Jul 17: Wall Street's earnings estimate game is a foolish exercise. Companies that report real growth deserve to be rewarded more than those that beat low expectations.
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Jul 16: Wall Street's celebrating "strong" earnings and the Fed thinks the recession may soon end. But consumers won't be confident until the housing woes are over.
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Jul 15: Strong earnings from Intel, Goldman and J&J may be signs that healthy companies are getting better -- but that's not the same thing as a broad rebound.
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Jul 2: The economy may be in better shape now than six months ago, but the June jobs report proves that the recovery is not going to be quick.
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Jul 1: Despite rising unemployment, record defaults and tough new rules, card issuers are raising rates and AmEx is the Dow's best performer this year. Huh?
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Jun 30: Some are worried the recession will linger if consumers continue to hunker down and stop spending. But the rising savings rate is a good thing for the long-term.
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Jun 29: CEO Jeff Immelt is talking about a 'reset' that should help GE, but investors are tired of GE Capital's poor performance. Stock is Dow's worst performer this year.
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Jun 26: While the greenback has recently weakened against global currencies, some strategists think a dollar rebound is on the horizon. Others worry about inflation.
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Jun 25: Three companies went public this week, making this the most active one for new offerings in more than a year. Is the IPO market finally back on track?
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Jun 24: The stocks of companies with low debt loads have far outperformed shares of firms leveraged to their eyeballs this year. That trend is likely to continue.
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Jun 23: Drugmakers, insurers and biotechs often do well when investors are worried about the economy. But with reform looming, the sector's been a sick patient.
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Jun 22: Looking for a way to benefit from cash for clunkers even if you're not trading in an old gas guzzler? Some analysts say buy steel companies and scrap recyclers.
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Jun 19: Some experts point to stabilization in the housing and job markets as signs the recession has ended. Others continue to see weeds - not green shoots.
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Jun 18: Stocks have had a crazy week. It must be the season of the witch! Quadruple witching, that is. But is the looming expiration of four derivatives really to blame?
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Jun 17: Investors have hit the pause button, but a market pullback was long overdue. Wall Street will need evidence of decent profits to get stocks back on track.
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Jun 15: Geithner and Summers say they want to reduce reliance on maligned credit rating firms. Shares of Standard & Poor's parent McGraw Hill and Moody's take a hit.
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Jun 12: Investors buying GM now won't cash in when it emerges from bankruptcy. Shares are on the Pink Sheets for a reason - they'll eventually be worthless.
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Jun 11: The stock market rally of the past three months has been led by weak companies like AIG, Ford and Office Depot. It's time for quality to take control.
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Jun 10: The market rally is now three months old. But stodgy sectors like health care and utilities are lagging. Still, abandoning 'defensive' stocks may not be a good idea.
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Jun 9: Ten big (and mostly healthy) banks are finally being allowed to pay taxpayers back $68 billion in TARP funds. Can I get a Hallelujah?
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Jun 8: The sharp rise in long-term interest rates is alarming, but they aren't high enough yet to choke off an economic recovery. But watch out if they head well above 4%.
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Jun 5: The May jobs report was better than expected and is further proof that the worst of the economy is over. Still, that doesn't mean a massive recovery is imminent.
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Jun 4: Even though hyperinflation is unlikely, Ben Bernanke would be foolish to ignore the inflation warning bells that the markets and other Fed members are sounding.
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Jun 3: A research firm predicts the West's share of the global economy will be eclipsed by emerging markets this year. No wonder Tim Geithner's in China.
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Jun 2: The market's performance this year looks a lot like the first five months of 2008. But there are growing hopes the last seven months won't be as bad as last year.
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Jun 1: GM finally filed for bankruptcy and stocks soared. Even though its woes could add to unemployment, some think economic damage will be minimal.
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May 29: If you sold in May and went away, you'd have missed out on more decent gains for stocks. It just goes to show that trying to time the market is a silly idea.
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May 28: Yields on long-term Treasurys have surged as investors worry about a supply glut and inflation. But rates aren't too high to be a cause for concern - yet.
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May 27: Apparently, Wall Street has factored all bad news into stocks. Is that a good sign, or should investors be worried if something unexpected really happens?
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May 26: Some investors are worrying about a return to '70s style inflation as the dollar weakens and oil and gold soar. But the concerns, while valid, are premature.
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May 22: Fears that the U.S. could lose its AAA credit rating are growing. But a downgrade isn't imminent since the chance of the government defaulting on its debt is slim.
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May 21: The greenback has weakened as stocks have rallied on economic recovery hopes. But there are pros and cons to the dollar's decline.
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May 20: Nobody apparently. The drop in the VIX, Wall Street's 'fear gauge,' shows Investors no longer fear an economic meltdown. That's great news.
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