Market Insight

Markets rarely move at random. InvestorPlace’s leading analysts break down macro trends, sector dynamics, and recurring market patterns to help investors understand what is changing, what matters most, and where opportunities may emerge.

Retail Sales Fall for December and 2009

By Paul Ausick
Today's report from the U.S. Commerce Department puts to bed the worst year for retail sales since the department began tracking sales in 1992.

Bank Tax Proposed to Pay for the Financial Industry’s Bailout

By Paul Ausick
On Thursday, President Obama is expected to announce details of a plan to tax the financial industry as much as $120 billion over 10 years in order to recover the cost of the bailout.

Avatar & Palin – A Match Made in Heaven?

By Paul Ausick
What do you get when you team up blue aliens with a controversial political figure? Well, if you're Rupert Murdoch, you're hoping the two combine to deliver profits for News Corp. (NWS).

4 Luxury Retail Stocks You Need to Buy Now

By Jim Woods, Editor-in-Chief, Successful Investing, Intelligence Report, Bullseye Stock Trader
These four retailers represent the best-of-breed retails stocks in the luxury retail space. Here's why.

Earnings Season Gets a Bias (AA, CVX, INTC, JPM, LTTC, KBH, AET, HIG)

By Jon Ogg
So far, earnings season is off to a slightly negative start, but the caution in using today's earnings data is that some of it may not exactly be a "tell" for the rest of the companies reporting this week.

KB Home’s Year-End Report a Wake-Up Call for Homebuilders (KBH, LEN, TOL, BZH)

By Paul Ausick
Despite the positive performance of many homebuilder stocks in 2009, today's fourth-quarter and fiscal year-end report from KB Home (KBH) could bring some reality back to the housing sector.

China Overtakes the U.S. as World’s Largest Auto Market

By Paul Ausick
China's auto sales grew nearly 50% year-over-year in 2009 surpassing the U.S. for the first time ever as the world's largest auto market.

The Big Chill, 2010-Style

By Paul Ausick
Cold snaps nearly always drive up fuel prices in the short term, but if the global economy is truly coming back, prices may not fall as fast and as far.

Best Buy Revenue Rises, BBY Shares Fall

By Paul Ausick
For the month of December, Best Buy (BBY) reported revenues of $8.5 billion, up 13% from December 2008, but going forward, how strongly can it compete against rivals Amazon (AMZN) and Wal-Mart (WMT)?

UPS Raises Q4 EPS Forecast, Announces Job Cuts

By Paul Ausick
UPS raised its fourth-quarter EPS forecast on Friday and announced plans to cut 1,800 jobs later this year.

Do OPEC Quotas Matter to Big Oil Companies? (XOM, CVX, COP)

By Paul Ausick
Unless OPEC can abide by individual quota agreements, big oil companies such as XOM, CVX and COP have nothing to fear from the cartel.

Charles Schwab to Lower Trade Commissions

By Paul Ausick
Discount broker Charles Schwab announced that it will lower its online equity trade commissions starting January 19.

How the Government Could Crash the Market

By Chris Rowe
What can we expect in 2010? Well, that all depends on how the government goes about letting the air out of the optimism bubble we're currently experiencing.

Is the Fat Lady Singing for GM and Chrysler?

By Paul Ausick
Auto companies recently reported auto sales figures for December and full-year 2009, and while the numbers for many auto companies are better, the outlook is not so bright for GM and Chrysler.

Meredith Whitney – When Doom and Gloom Isn’t Really Bad (GS, MS, JPM)

By Jon Ogg
Meredith Whitney lowered earnings estimates for Goldman Sachs Group (GS) on Tuesday perhaps proving that interpreting analyst "downgrades" ahead of earnings reports might be more art than science.

Unemployment Not Worse

By Paul Ausick
While today's ADP employment report shows that job cuts are moderating, any one of a number of factors could send the employment down the ladder again

Managing Your Money – How to Take Back Control From Wall Street and Uncle Sam

By Ron Ianieri
While we make sacrifice after sacrifice, Wall Street insists on getting paid obscene bonuses, and the government allows them to. And there's only one productive thing we can do about it.

Biodiesel Makers Will Struggle After Tax Credit Expires

By Paul Ausick
If the biodiesel tax credit is not extended, the biodiesel industry is unlikely to survive.

Job Satisfaction Ain’t What It Used to Be

By Paul Ausick
Research shows that among Americans who still have jobs, less than half are satisfied with those jobs.
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