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MarketWatch’s top 10 stories, May 20-24

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:21:32 -0400

MarketWatch’s top 10 stories of the pre–Memorial Day week, from Tim Cook and Jamie Dimon to Xbox and mozzarella Caprese.

Flat Close Over Fed Stimulus Plan Concerns

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:52:28 -0400

The markets closed flat with the Dow adding 8 points to 15,303 over concerns that the Federal Reserve would taper down its bond buying program. Nasdaq held steady at 3459.

Lower Open Over QE Concerns

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:43:58 -0400

Concerns about the Federal Reserve's commitment to its quantitative easing program weighed the markets down to a sharply lower open with the Dow tumbling 88 points to 15,206. Nasdaq dropped 24 points to 3434.

Salesforce.com, Google hit tech stocks

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:38:43 -0400

Salesforce.com sparked a slump across the stocks of other corporate software vendors and led the broader tech sector into the red. Pandora jumps.

U.S. stocks dip at open despite durable goods beat

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:59:15 -0400

U.S. stocks opened moderately lower Friday after another volatile session for Asian markets, with upbeat durable-goods data failing to overcome negative sentiment.

Businesses Must Use Revised I-9 Forms Or Face $1,100 civil monetary penalties per employee

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:36:34 -0400

BY DAVID JOHN MAROTTA In “Marketplace Fairness Act Burdens Businesses with State Compliance Audits” I wrote, “Compliance isn’t just a technical burden. It is a threat of legal liability. … Compliance costs should not be discounted. Americans spend an estimated 6.6 billion hours per year filling out tax forms. Depending on the size of the business, [...]

Modestly Lower Close Despite Nikkei Drop

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:35:21 -0400

The markets recovered from early morning losses to close modestly lower with the Dow losing 12 points to 15,294 despite a sharp drop in the Nikkei as upbeat earnings and rising new home sales lifted investor sentiment. Nasdaq slipped 3 points to 3459.

Markets Pare Losses On Rising On Home Sales

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:45:44 -0400

The markets pared earlier losses with the Dow slipping 15 points to 15,292 as rising new home sales blunted the impact of the Nikkei's sharp drop. Nasdaq lost 8 points to 3454.

Updates, advisories and surprises

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:01:09 -0400

A roundup of the latest corporate earnings reports and what companies are saying about future quarters.

Lower Open As Chinese Factory Activity Drops

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:41:06 -0400

A drop in Chinese factory activity weighed the markets down to a lower open with the Dow falling 50 points to 15,256. Nasdaq lost 10 points to 3453.

H-P a big gainer as other techs trim losses

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:39:49 -0400

Computer giant gets a lift on better-than-expected results. Investor sentiment was mixed following economic data from China and comments from Fed chief Ben Bernanke

REIT Yield as a Predictor of Future Returns

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:25:03 -0400

by Geoff Considine The yield of an asset is a key component of predicting future returns. This is true for the yield on Treasury bonds as well as the dividend yield for stock indexes. The yield on aggregate bond indexes is considered a good proxy for future expected returns. The dividend yield of broad stock indexes has been [...]

U.S. stocks drop, hit by Fed, Asian selloff

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:57:38 -0400

Japanese equities endure worst one-day loss since March 2011. Global markets are down on soft Chinese data and worries about the Fed slowing its bond-buying program.

“Reform-Oriented Emerging Economies”

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:28:54 -0400

Financial Times author, Ruchir Sharma, says that money flows into the emerging markets are more discriminate this decade. As the printing presses continue to hum, however, the question remains: where will the money go?

Sharply Lower Close On Disappointing Earnings

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:07:32 -0400

Disappointing earnings weighed the markets down to a sharply lower close with the Dow tumbling 80 points to 15,307. Nasdaq plunged 38 points to 3463.

Markets Retreat To Trade Mixed

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:07:10 -0400

The markets retreated from an early morning rally with the Dow rising 22 points to 15,409 as investors await the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's policy meeting. Nasdaq lost 14 points to 3487.

Fed To Continue Stimulus Program, Markets Soar

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:42:16 -0400

The markets opened sharply higher with the Dow soaring 112 points to 15,499 after Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said that continued stimulus measures were necessary to sustain the fragile economy. Nasdaq climbed 24 points to 3526.

NetApp, Apple rise; Microsoft, Oracle slide

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:22:49 -0400

NetApp and Apple shares rise to highlight a mini-tech rally. But shares of Oracle and Microsoft weigh down the sector.

Business Development Companies: High yield, high risk

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:05:33 -0400

By John Wasik (Reuters) – In a frantic search for yields, investors often turn toward relatively unknown products. Business Development Companies (BDCs) are one of latest vehicles to grab investor attention – and money. BDCs are companies that lend to young, thinly traded and often distressed companies that have credit ratings in the “junk” status. They are [...]

U.S. stocks creep up before Bernanke testifies

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:41:41 -0400

U.S. stocks move up modestly in Wednesday’s early going before Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s much-anticipated appearance in front of lawmakers.

Dow Rises To Another Record

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:26:31 -0400

The markets advanced with the Dow closing at another record as investors await comments from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke tomorrow. The blue chip index climbed 52 points to 15,387 while Nasdaq gained 5 points to 3502.

Markets Advance Ahead Of Bernanke Testimony

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:34:41 -0400

The markets traded higher during the midday with the Dow gaining 50 points to 15,386 ahead of Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony before Congress tomorrow. Nasdaq rose 6 points to 3502.

Apple weighs down techs; Yahoo gains

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:46:11 -0400

Apple shares slipped ahead of Tim Cook’s slated appearance at a congressional hearing on Tuesday. Yahoo rose a day after the big Tumblr acquisition. Microsoft slated to unveil new Xbox.

Mixed Open Ahead Of Apple's Testimony

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:43:11 -0400

The markets opened mixed with the Dow adding 7 points to 15,342 while Nasdaq slipped 6 points to 3490 ahead of Apple chief executive Tim Cook's testimony before the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

U.S. stocks rise, with Fed speakers on tap

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:42:51 -0400

U.S. stocks rise on Tuesday, with investors expected to scrutinize speeches by two Federal Reserve officials for any clues as to when the central bank may begin to scale back its $85-billion-a-month asset-purchase program.

Four ways to avoid bad decisions during a bull run

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:28:33 -0400

By John Wasik (Reuters) – Is the Dow’s movement above 15,000 or the record close of the S&P 500 Index last week a buy signal? They may not mean anything, but most market watchers believe the rise is talismanic. Despite the lure of recent market gains, there’s often no pattern to investment results. To avoid [...]

May 20, 2013: New Features: FolioInvesting One-Click, Portfolio Dividend & Static Portfolio Change

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:18:36 -0400

We introduce several new features including email attachment for FolioInvesting portfolio allocations, portfolio dividend data and dynamically changing a static portfolio while maintaining historical performance data.

Investors Lock In Profits

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:07:27 -0400

After setting new records last week, the markets closed modestly lower with the Dow losing 19 points to 15,335 on profit taking. Nasdaq slipped 2 points to 3496.

Profit Taking Weighs Down Markets

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:00:30 -0400

The markets traded lower during the midday with the Dow slipping 12 points to 15,341 as investors locked in profits from last week. Nasdaq lost 6 points to 3492.

U.S. stocks grind higher to all-time highs

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:40:20 -0400

U.S. stocks resume grind to record highs after a slow start, with Yahoo Inc.’s acquisition of Tumblr and other deal news dominating investor attention.

Mixed Open After Records Last Week

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:42:38 -0400

The markets opened mixed with the Dow slipping 11 points to 15,342 while Nasdaq added 3 points to 3501 as investors took a breather after another record close last week.

Yahoo shares edge up after Tumblr deal

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:41:23 -0400

Internet pioneer to pay $1.1 billion for popular blogging service provider.

Social Security Earnings Penalty?

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:53:33 -0400

BY MATTHEW ILLIAN A good deal of misinformation is published about a so-called Social Security earnings penalty. Many are led to believe that if they earn money while collecting Social Security, they’ll lose some of this benefit forever. Retirees should ignore all talk about a “penalty,” which only discourages prudent cost-benefit analysis. The Social Security retirement [...]

Stock rally’s breadth is a sign of strength, froth

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:19:42 -0400

Stock indexes rallying to new highs have put investors on alert for a correction. Now they have something else to worry about: Too many individual stocks touching highs.

Records For Fourth Consecutive Week

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:22:20 -0400

Records were set for the fourth week in a row with the Dow leaping 121 points to 15,354 as consumer sentiment climbed to six year high. Nasdaq soared 33 points to 3498.

MarketWatch’s top 10 stories, May 13 - 17

Fri, 17 May 2013 16:39:53 -0400

MarketWatch’s top 10 stories, May 13 -17

Markets Rise As Consumer Sentiment Climbs

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:02:20 -0400

A gain in consumer sentiment lifted the markets during the midday with the Dow rising 54 points to 15,287. Nasdaq gained 16 points to 3481.

High Open As Consumer Sentiment Climbs

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:42:54 -0400

May consumer sentiment climbed to a six year high to lift the markets to a higher open with the Dow gaining 57 points to 15,290. Nasdaq rose 18 points to 3484.

Facebook among tech gainers on IPO anniversary

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:42:41 -0400

Social network’s shares are still down 30% from public offering; Tableau Software surges 58% as it holds is IPO.

The Meaning of the New Highs in the S&P500

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:26:14 -0400

by Geoff Considine The S&P500 has recently been hitting new all-time highs, which would seem to suggest that the economy is recovering and that the U.S. economy is back on track. The story does not look quite so rosy when you account for inflation, as Mark Hulbert has recently noted. The current level of the S&P500 is, in [...]

U.S. stocks rise toward fourth week of gains

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:22:32 -0400

U.S. stocks rise Friday, with Wall Street in position for a fourth weekly gain, after reports on leading economic indicators and consumer sentiment.

Tax Rate Reminder

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:47:50 -0400

From Wesley Gray at Turnkey Analyst comes a reminder about tax rates. Tax rates are going up, and how your investment is taxed may be as important as how it performs.

Economic Data Weighs Down Markets

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:29:36 -0400

An increase in jobless claims along with a sharp drop in April housing starts weighed the markets down to a lower close with the Dow falling 42 points to 15,233. Nasdaq lost 6 points to 3465.

Markets Rise On Upbeat Earnings

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:20:36 -0400

Upbeat earnings lifted the market during the midday with the Dow rising 7 points to 15,283. Nasdaq rose 6 points to 3477.

Cisco sparks networking rally, AMD falls

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:43:51 -0400

Cisco’s upbeat view of corporate IT sparks a networking rally, but AMD falls on a Goldman Sachs downgrade.

Mixed Open As Jobless Claims Rise

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:42:12 -0400

The markets opened mixed with the Dow slipping 22 points to 15,253 while Nasdaq added 2 points to 3474. First time applications for unemployment benefits rose after falling to five year low last week.

Amazon Sales Tax Collection: Coming To Your State Soon!

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:16:12 -0400

BY DAVID JOHN MAROTTA In “Marketplace Fairness Act Adds Automation to Tax Confusion” I wrote: Amazon is currently collecting sales tax for purchases shipped to nine states. It will begin collecting sales tax on purchases for Virginia in September 2013. The nine states Amazon is currently collecting sales tax are Arizona, California, Kansas, Kentucky, New York, North [...]

U.S. stocks slip after data disappoint

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:51:21 -0400

U.S. stocks open mostly lower Thursday, pausing after another record-setting session, as data had jobless claims hitting a six-week high and housing starts down sharply.

From the Archives: Life Expectancy at Retirement

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:15:58 -0400

Source: The Economist, via Greg Mankiw. Americans, as well as citizens of many other advanced nations, now spend about twice as many years in retirement as they did a generation or two ago.

Record Dow Close Again

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:43:11 -0400

Another record was set today with the Dow climbing 60 points to close at a new high of 15,275 over a gain in homebuilder confidence. Nasdaq gained 9 points to 3471.