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Waiting out the bear? Safety first
You have another chance to devastate your beleaguered portfolio -- by getting back into stocks too soon. The market and the economy are likely to keep grinding lower for a while.
Why Pepsi can rebound but GM can't
Earnings season will show a whole lot of misses on net income, but it's not all bad news. Here's how to identify companies that are likely to be able to bounce back.
4 stocks to fight inflation's bite
Why keep losing ground to inflation on your income investments? My 'unfixed-income' strategy can keep you ahead of inflation -- and here are some strong bets for getting started.
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Dow up 152 as crude drops to $136
Crude's fall sets off a rally; financial stocks rebound. Fed boss Bernanke says the central bank may continue to lend to investment banks after 2008 and promotes closer regulation. A new report shows more housing weakness. Alcoa earnings beat estimates.
91 ways to save on almost anything
Here's how to stretch your dollars -- and pinch your pennies 'til they scream -- while you feel little or no pain.
Bourbon business booms
Spirits are high among U.S. distillers –- they're expanding production to meet surging demand overseas and among a new generation of American drinkers.
Waiting out the bear? Safety first
You have another chance to devastate your beleaguered portfolio -- by getting back into stocks too soon. The market and the economy are likely to keep grinding lower for a while.
5 big holes in your 401(k) nest egg
Yes, the stock market's down, and your retirement account is likely down with it. But common problems can leave your plan leaking money even in the best of times.
Falling stocks reflect reality -- for a change
When it comes to stock prices, the markets are finally factoring in the nation's dire economic situation. Finding stocks to short is a snap these days.
Stocks end lower in wild trading
Weakness in financial stocks, especially Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, weigh on markets; the S&P 500's close is its lowest since July 2006. Crude oil drops briefly under $140. Microsoft says it's interested in Yahoo -- but not its current board. GM may cut brands and more workers.
5 stupid 'fixes' for money woes
Desperate times can make for bad decisions. Remember: If a solution sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And the words 'quick and easy' should set off alarm bells.
Bad times for good companies
Even household names such as Coca-Cola are getting drubbed in this ugly market. Many careful savers and investors are vulnerable, and the trouble isn't close to being over.
Global economy won't bail out the US
This nation is the world's biggest consumer, so a slowdown here means a slowdown everywhere. And there is no safe harbor -- not in tech nor in the media's market misconceptions.
Standing by a battered Nvidia
The computer-graphics specialist is being beaten down and taking my portfolio with it. But I'm buying more. Here's why.
Skid tests traders' survival skills
All but 1 of the players in our stock challenge are ahead of the market, but thanks to its recent steep drop, only 2 have managed to keep themselves out of the red.
The winning ways of Elan
With promising drugs in the test phase or just hitting the market, Elan has worked its way from near collapse to market leader. But is it too late to get in on the action?
What does Wal-Mart's new logo mean?
The redesign looks like an effort to advance the discount retailer's reputation as environmentally friendly. But can it repair an image? That question is open to debate.
Oil tops $145, casts pall on markets
Stocks finish the week with small gains. But crude's new highs will weigh on markets next week. Alcoa starts earnings season; GE's report will be a key report. Payrolls fall 62,000 in June, not as bad as expected.
Circuit City deal falls through
I'm covering my short positions in Circuit City and Blockbuster. As I predicted Monday, the acquisition failed to materialize.
What does it cost to drop 30 pounds?
Getting smaller is big business. As you lose weight, your wallet could end up thinner, too -- sometimes by thousands of dollars, depending on which diet plan you pick.
Your financial Independence Day
It's up to you to create a financial future by making smart decisions about the things you can control. Here's how to plan for your own day of independence.
5 stocks with hot hands
The collective wisdom of an online community and a simple stock screen are enlisted to help find stocks with positive momentum. One find: Copart, a junk car auction service.
Not much to buy in an ugly market
I'm jumping into shares of Deere, if only to have another dog in the fight. Meanwhile, I'm giving up on MEMC Electronic Materials, a maker of silicon wafers.
Dow falls 167 on record oil, GM fears
General Motors' shares tumble after a Merrill Lynch analyst says he thinks the automaker could seek bankruptcy protection if sales don't rally. Stocks fall into bear market territory as oil hits a new high. Traders await Thursday's jobs report.
GM shares plunge on bankruptcy fears
The company faces so many problems, a Merrill Lynch analyst says, that bankruptcy isn't out of the question. Here's why it also may be unlikely.
Why Google will keep going up
The search giant has built a fortress that lets it dominate the Web. And like many top companies right now, it's on sale.
Our newest outsourcing trend: Monetary policy
I'm selling WellPoint, Mobile Telesystems and Vasco Data Security International. I'm buying Celgene, Northgate Minerals and Northeast Utilities.
10 reasons to love a recession
The hard times of the '70s were also a period of reflection and recalibration. The latest downturn is an opportunity to return to the family dinner table or the garden.
What if we threw out all the illegal immigrants?
Overnight, some industries would become desperate for workers. The biggest beneficiaries would be low-skilled American workers. The big losers might surprise you.
Who wins in the 'staycation' world?
Because of soaring gas prices, more Americans are canceling summer travel plans. That's bad news for hotels and airlines but good news for electronics stores and family resorts.
3 sure ways to lift retirement income
Forget Wall Street. The real power is in your hands to make these risk-free choices that could add thousands of dollars to your bottom line.
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Dow up 152 as crude drops to $136
Crude's fall sets off a rally; financial stocks rebound. Fed boss Bernanke says the central bank may continue to lend to investment banks after 2008 and promotes closer regulation. A new report shows more housing weakness. Alcoa earnings beat estimates.
Bourbon business booms
Spirits are high among U.S. distillers –- they're expanding production to meet surging demand overseas and among a new generation of American drinkers.
Waiting out the bear? Safety first
You have another chance to devastate your beleaguered portfolio -- by getting back into stocks too soon. The market and the economy are likely to keep grinding lower for a while.
5 big holes in your 401(k) nest egg
Yes, the stock market's down, and your retirement account is likely down with it. But common problems can leave your plan leaking money even in the best of times.
Falling stocks reflect reality -- for a change
When it comes to stock prices, the markets are finally factoring in the nation's dire economic situation. Finding stocks to short is a snap these days.
Stocks end lower in wild trading
Weakness in financial stocks, especially Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, weigh on markets; the S&P 500's close is its lowest since July 2006. Crude oil drops briefly under $140. Microsoft says it's interested in Yahoo -- but not its current board. GM may cut brands and more workers.
Bad times for good companies
Even household names such as Coca-Cola are getting drubbed in this ugly market. Many careful savers and investors are vulnerable, and the trouble isn't close to being over.
Global economy won't bail out the US
This nation is the world's biggest consumer, so a slowdown here means a slowdown everywhere. And there is no safe harbor -- not in tech nor in the media's market misconceptions.
Standing by a battered Nvidia
The computer-graphics specialist is being beaten down and taking my portfolio with it. But I'm buying more. Here's why.
Skid tests traders' survival skills
All but 1 of the players in our stock challenge are ahead of the market, but thanks to its recent steep drop, only 2 have managed to keep themselves out of the red.
The winning ways of Elan
With promising drugs in the test phase or just hitting the market, Elan has worked its way from near collapse to market leader. But is it too late to get in on the action?
What does Wal-Mart's new logo mean?
The redesign looks like an effort to advance the discount retailer's reputation as environmentally friendly. But can it repair an image? That question is open to debate.
Oil tops $145, casts pall on markets
Stocks finish the week with small gains. But crude's new highs will weigh on markets next week. Alcoa starts earnings season; GE's report will be a key report. Payrolls fall 62,000 in June, not as bad as expected.
Circuit City deal falls through
I'm covering my short positions in Circuit City and Blockbuster. As I predicted Monday, the acquisition failed to materialize.
5 stocks with hot hands
The collective wisdom of an online community and a simple stock screen are enlisted to help find stocks with positive momentum. One find: Copart, a junk car auction service.
Not much to buy in an ugly market
I'm jumping into shares of Deere, if only to have another dog in the fight. Meanwhile, I'm giving up on MEMC Electronic Materials, a maker of silicon wafers.
Dow falls 167 on record oil, GM fears
General Motors' shares tumble after a Merrill Lynch analyst says he thinks the automaker could seek bankruptcy protection if sales don't rally. Stocks fall into bear market territory as oil hits a new high. Traders await Thursday's jobs report.
GM shares plunge on bankruptcy fears
The company faces so many problems, a Merrill Lynch analyst says, that bankruptcy isn't out of the question. Here's why it also may be unlikely.
Why Google will keep going up
The search giant has built a fortress that lets it dominate the Web. And like many top companies right now, it's on sale.
Our newest outsourcing trend: Monetary policy
I'm selling WellPoint, Mobile Telesystems and Vasco Data Security International. I'm buying Celgene, Northgate Minerals and Northeast Utilities.
Who wins in the 'staycation' world?
Because of soaring gas prices, more Americans are canceling summer travel plans. That's bad news for hotels and airlines but good news for electronics stores and family resorts.
GM's June sales will prove costly
Stocks end higher, after a morning tumble, as GM's sales aren't as bad as expected. But the incentives it offered to get the sales will be costly. Starbucks will expand its store closings and trim its staff. Crude moves higher.
50 stocks hotter than July
StockScouter, MSN Money's stock-picking tool, identifies companies with momentum. The July list is the first in months that's not dominated by energy companies.
You, too, can be an oil speculator
Their impact on the price of oil and other commodities is exaggerated, but hedge funds and others are making a lot of money betting on higher prices. You can play the game, too.
Why Pepsi can rebound but GM can't
Earnings season will show a whole lot of misses on net income, but it's not all bad news. Here's how to identify companies that are likely to be able to bounce back.
A terrible June finally ends
Late selling saps a rally, and the Dow has its worst June since 1930. Oil tops $143 but falls back. Energy and metals stocks rise, but techs and financials are weak. Lehman Bros. shares fall 11%. Chrysler will cut back minivan production.
The short circuit at Circuit City
Sure, the economy is taking a bite. But Circuit City is still doing much worse than its competition. I'll short it as well as Blockbuster, which is considering a takeover of this electronic dog.
5 times to hedge your bets
When the future is uncertain, it can pay to split the difference on your investments. That way, if the price of being wrong is too high, you'll buy yourself a little peace of mind.
The end of the superbubble
That sound you hear is the popping of a financial bubble in housing, the economy and the market. And you can trace it all to Alan Greenspan's Federal Reserve.
Dow off 107; crude finishes above $140
Traders worry that more oil price increases Monday could set off more selling. The Dow is briefly off 20% from its October high, the definition of a bear market, and may have its worst June since 1930. Financial stocks sag; energy stocks move higher.
America on the decline?
4 stocks to fight inflation's bite
Why keep losing ground to inflation on your income investments? My 'unfixed-income' strategy can keep you ahead of inflation -- and here are some strong bets for getting started.
Dow off 358 as crude tops $140
The Dow finishes at a two-year low, and crude oil briefly tops $140 as Libya threatens to cut output. GM closes at levels last seen in 1955. Research In Motion and Oracle drag techs lower. Financials slump after Goldman cuts its outlook on the group.
Boeing among 10 stocks set to take off
The world's biggest aerospace company appears on an MSN Money list of stocks poised for gains. Here are StockScouter's best investment ideas.
How McCain would fix the economy
ExxonMobil dodges $2 billion payout
A Supreme Court ruling this week slashes punitive damages stemming from the 1989 Valdez tanker disaster. In boardrooms across the country, top executives must be breaking out the champagne.
How Obama would fix the economy
3 dogs due to have their day
The Fed didn't act, but don't let that stop you. I've spotted three battered buys: a big financial name, a gambling play and a Chinese restaurant chain.
Budweiser, the great Belgian lager?
Giant brewer InBev wants to take over Anheuser-Busch, the company behind 'the Great American Lager,' picking a fight with the Busch family and a lot of U.S. beer drinkers.
From homeless drug user to millionaire
As a teen, Bob Williamson 'got all hung up in drugs and all that nonsense.' Decades of hard work later, his company has 173 employees and sales of $26 million a year.
How much oil is there really?
There's good reason to cast a cold eye on estimates of proven reserves. By indifference or design, there's simply no source for reliable information.
Investors, have another bite of corn
Even in a slowing economy, we'll keep eating, feeding livestock and driving. So corn growers (and the industries that support them) should continue to do well.
Fed leaves key rates unchanged; rally fades
Stocks rise, then fall back as the central bank signals that fixing a slowing economy is Job 1. But inflation, the Fed says, is a growing problem. Oil falls on a supply boost. Goldman Sachs says 'Sell Boeing.' Research In Motion earnings disappoint.
$1,000 for a pair of jeans?
World now has 10 million millionaires
North America is still home to the most millionaires, with a third of the world’s wealthiest, but their ranks are growing fastest in Brazil, China and India.
3 stocks that radiate potential
The MSN CAPS rating system can help investors find stocks that are building momentum -- and decide when to take chips off the table.
Is your stock on the 'hit list'?
When short sellers are betting your stock will go down, be wary. Here's a Web site that helps you to peek into this side of the market -- and put that information to use. Also: Good short plays for right now.
6 shipping stocks for commodity boom
Emerging countries' demand for food, fuel and minerals means lots of business for companies that deliver the goods -- but these stocks are volatile and bear watching closely.
Bernanke's big dilemma
The Fed's next move could determine how the US economic downtown plays out. But there are no good options, and the best strategy wouldn't be easy in an election year.
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