But investors aren’t wiping the 2014 sweat from their foreheads just yet. December’s jobs data delivered an unexpected drop in the unemployment rate but was dwarfed by the even less expected weak number of jobs gained in December. The Dow Jones finished at 16,483.26 (+0.67%) The S&P 500  finished at 1,848.39 (0.52%) The Nasdaq...
And so the story goes… The stock market thrived for five years and finished at record heights in 2013, just to begin a familiar trend back down immediately following its bull market peak. Or at least that is what is running through the minds of investors as we come...
If  Wall Street still had the iconic scene of traders in a crowded room yelling “buy” and “sell”, then today that room would have been filled with an awkward silence as investors stood by cautiously not knowing what to do. So far in 2014 the stock market has been on...
Stocks remained relatively flat to start the trading week, following a day off from trading to honor President’s Day. The Dow Jones and the S&P 500 showed little change throughout the day, while the Nasdaq managed to post some mild gains. The Dow Jones finished at 16,130.79 (-0.15%) The S&P 500  finished...
Corporate America has been busy this week, and so followed the stock market. After starting the week off pretty tame, investors sprang into action yesterday and today after a bundle of reports came out that often have an influence on the market. Among the reports were some red flags...
Most websites on investing and financial planning can’t wait to tell you about two things—the record highs of the Dow Jones Industrial Average or S&P 500, and the impressive levels of growth expected in our nation’s economy in the coming months. So why did the United States’ GDP drop in...
The news cycle has been quite complimentary towards the lack of stock market volatility recently. But that could be set to end as soon as this afternoon. After the closing bell, second-quarter earnings season kicks off with the release of data from Alcoa, a top aluminum producer and traditionally the...
One of the cardinal rules mutual fund investors follow is the avoidance of ‘load’ fees—essentially, the sales charge associated with joining a fund.  Unfortunately, that leads these investors into perhaps a bigger mistake. That’s because they’re overlooking two more fees funds assess. One is covered in the prospectus, but the...
Friday, August 8th  As tensions rise in the Middle East and continue in Ukraine, Wall Street responded with drops across the board Thursday. Friday’s outlook is even bleaker. Following a report that Russian troops had mobilized along the Ukrainian border, stock prices began dropping Wednesday and continued their downward momentum Thursday....
Monday, August 11 While Friday was seen as a victory for Wall Street, the higher close highlighted the day-to-day volatility of the market. Despite the widespread reports of an ongoing bull market, Friday’s rally was needed to push the Dow Jones average just barely into the black for 2014. Overall, the...