A host of factors outside of the government’s control will likely hold back the economy for at least another year.
Wall Street & Markets
Justice Sues S&P; Is It Time to Rethink the Role of Ratings Agencies?
Most of the time, court cases are manna for journalists. The politicians and corporations we cover aren’t in the habit of dishing out information they don’t want the public to know. But along comes a lawsuit, and the parties are …
Has the Banking Industry Really Been Fixed?
The banking sector still faces big challenges, but greater transparency will boost investor confidence and also encourage banks to manage risk better internally.
As the Dow Soars, How High Can Tech Stocks Go?
Last Friday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average — the benchmark stock index of America’s blue chip companies — closed above 14,000 for the first time since the financial meltdown sent the U.S. economy into the worst crisis in …
Are We Watching a ‘Great Rotation’ Into Stocks?
Money is flowing into stock funds this year. Skeptics abound but others believe that the Fed’s determination to rekindle an appetite for risk will produce a shift from bonds into stocks over the next few years and drive prices higher.
What (If Anything) Can Fix the SEC?
When President Obama nominated former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White to be the next Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the reaction was generally positive. White will be the first prosecutor to head the …
Apple Shares Plunge 10% on Slowing Growth, New Product Jitters
For years, Apple consistently beat Wall Street expectations, not only because the company habitually low-balled its financial projections, but also because it was growing at a rate and scale that was virtually unprecedented in …
Microsoft and Dell: A Match Made in Heaven or Hell?
6 Reasons the Stock Market Could Do Surprisingly Well in 2013
A slow-growing economy with little inflation can actually be the best environment for blue-chip stocks.
How Long Can the Stock Market Defy Economic Gravity?
As the pragmatic conservative economist Herbert Stein once said, “If something cannot go on forever, it won’t.” I’ve been thinking about that saying a lot in relation to today’s bull market and the complacency with which investors seem to view it.
What the Current Economic Outlook Means for American Families
The economy is likely to keep improving, but slow growth could develop into chronic stagnation.
Herbalife Defends Itself Against Pyramid Allegations. But Does the Market Believe?
One of the more entertaining spectacles in the financial world this past month has been the recent battle between hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and nutritional supplement company Herbalife. The multilevel marketing (MLM) firm came under serious pressure late last month when Ackman put a massive $1 billion short bet on the company, …
