Topic: Standard & Poor's
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Top 5 bull markets since 1929
The bull market that started in 2009 is currently the fifth most spectacular rise in stock prices since at least 1929. Can you guess which bull markets have been even more impressive?
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Debt-ceiling showdown: 4 reasons it's not a replay of 2011
In 2011, Congress and President Obama went to the brink of government default when congressional Republicans balked at raising the nation's debt ceiling. The spring of 2013 appears to have another debt ceiling fight in store. Here are the top four things that have changed.
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Briefing
Obama vs. Romney 101: 3 ways they differ on regulation
Wall Street is a big target – blamed for the financial crisis that led to the Great Recession. Mitt Romney says efforts to rein in financiers via more regulation are an attack on “economic freedom.” President Obama says new regulations would make it “more profitable to play by the rules than to game the system.” Here are three specifics on which the two differ.
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A brief history of the Greek debt crisis
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Which countries have a higher credit rating than the US?
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Japan's economy in deep trouble? Look again.
Standard & Poor’s cut its rating on Japanese sovereign debt one notch last week, strengthening the naysayers. But with falling unemployment, large reserves, and rising corporate profits, 'Japan is punching well above its weight,' says one analyst.
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Stocks prices up, but housing still hurts
Stock prices seems to be recovering, but most Americans are still bogged down with the housing market.
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Why the Dow Jones average finally closed above 12000
The Dow Jones average closed at 12040.16 Tuesday. Crossing the 12000 level might encourage investors to spend more money.
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Can economy's 2010 growth spurt last? Five clues.
The US economy grew at a relatively healthy 3.2 percent annual rate in the final quarter of 2010, the Commerce Department reported Friday. That is an improvement from a 2.6 percent rate in the third quarter. But to many Americans, it's hard to tell if anything is really better. Buried in the new report are clues to why that is – and what might happen to the economy in the year ahead. Here are five things that the government’s preliminary report on gross domestic product reveals about the health of the economy.
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Home prices fall again: Eight keys to the housing market future
US home prices fell 1 percent in November compared with the previous month, according to a widely followed 20-city index released by Standard & Poor's Tuesday. It's the latest sign that, five years after home prices peaked, the housing market remains an important weak link in the economy. Still, housing experts say 2011 could be a pivotal year when home prices bottom out and a more stable environment begins to emerge. Here's a look at the key issues.
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State budget woes: How much will they drag down US economy?
Cutting employees, raising taxes, and delaying payments to vendors could slow economic recovery, experts say, but perhaps only slightly.
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Investment strategies for a new decade? Here are five.
If you're wondering how financial planner Charles Failla sees the next decade of investing and beyond, consider this: Both his 3-year-old son and 18-month-old daughter are studying Mandarin. "That gives you some idea about my conviction on emerging markets," says Mr. Failla, principal at Sovereign Financial Group in New York. While the "jury is still out on the US – which has a lot of problems to fix – I am very optimistic about China and India over the next 20 years." There's plenty of advice about what investors should do for 2011. But where do financial pros suggest you put your money through 2020? Here are five themes for the new decade:
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Stock market tip: Avoid stock performance-linked bonds (the 'reverse convertibles')
Reverse convertibles enrich brokers, not investors.
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White House has lost one-quarter of its market value in three years
According to one real-estate website, the value of the White House has fallen from $332 million in 2007 to $252 million today. There are no plans to sell it, however.
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Stock market: why it closed at highest level since August 2008
Stock market gains have been common in January, when that month follows midterm elections. Some investors may be starting to move money out of bonds and into the stock market.
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GOP gets cold feet on ending bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Republicans want to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage giants at the heart of the financial meltdown. But bad news on house prices has them delaying grand plans.
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Top 10 investment trends to watch in 2011
The bull market is entering its third year, historically a time when investors grow wary. They’ll have good reason for caution in 2011, given the potential for higher interest rates, federal budget struggles, a surge in commodity prices, and the challenges corporations may find in churning out higher and higher profits. These stresses won’t necessarily end the party on Wall Street, just change it. Here are 10 investment trends to watch for in 2011:
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Strong holiday season for retail bolstered by online shopping
Online shopping posted growth of 15.4 percent this season compared with last year, a new report finds. Overall, consumers spent 5.5 percent more between Nov. 5 and Dec. 24.
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US house prices fall in October, set to tumble further still
A study of 20 US cities shows that house prices fell in all 20 in October. Atlanta was hit the hardest. Overall, house prices fell by 1.3 percent in the month.
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Bond market woes in EU spur only stop-gap steps
Bond market unsettled by worries over Spain and Portugal, but Germany rejects broader rescue efforts.
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Inter-galactic bailout?! The Fed reaches beyond borders
According to some reports, the U.S. Federal Reserve plans to bail out Europe by adding cash from the International Monetary Fund. What next?
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One year after bankruptcy, General Motors predicts a profitable 2010
General Motors has reported a $2 billion profit for the third quarter, and next week, the company plans an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange.
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Mythbuster: The stock market hates gridlock
Maybe that gridlock celebration went a bit too far.
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Gold good, TIPS dumb, if you're worried about inflation (which you shouldn't be)
TIPS, inflation-protected Treasury bonds, are now selling at $105 for $100 worth of bonds. People are paying Uncle Sam to for the privilege of loaning him money. Huh?
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House prices: Latest US index falls, a signal of weakness
Reversing four months of gains, a key US house price index fell modestly in August, and some economists see more declines ahead. But the index is still well off the recession's low point.
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Stock market going up. Sign of better times ahead?
Since March 2009, the Standard & Poor's average has rebounded 76 percent, and the stock market could be getting ready for more gains in the months ahead.
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Home prices up, but can it last?
Home prices edged higher at the height of the summer home-buying season, but analysts see a dropoff in the fall.
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Bad eggs and free market capitalism
How responsive is the free market to situations like the recent egg recall?
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Stock prices too volatile. Young adults opt out of market.
Stock prices have plunged too often in the past decade for risk-averse young adults. Will Wall Street lose a generation of investors?
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Home prices rise in over a dozen US cities during June
Home prices rose in 17 of 20 US metropolitan areas during the month of June, according to the most recent S&P/Case-Schiller monthly price index.
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