As the crisis in housing and financials deepens with seemingly no end in sight, it’s not surprising that other sectors of the market with a direct correlation to those industries get taken down too. Consumer durables is one such sector.

I've been watching the market drama very closely (my wife would say too closely) for clues as to what will be in store for the economy, credit markets and stocks once all of the dust settles.

Investors have experienced quite a ride in recent weeks as the financial crisis hit a new level. The threat of major financial institutions sent global markets spiraling. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm actually anticipating a rebound in the next six to nine months. And guess what will be leading the charge? China stocks.

As the American consumer feels the heat from the fallout on Wall Street, job losses, high gas prices, declining stock portfolios and lower home values sure doesn't look like a great time to be investing in retailers specializing in non-essentials.

As hard as it may seem, there is indeed other news out there. Though the credit crisis is integral to the future of Wall Street, Main Street and everything in between, investors should still keep an eye on individual stocks as they manage their portfolios.

The death knell for the stand alone investment bank came on Sunday night with the Federal Reserve approving a request from Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) to become bank holding companies.

As Congress takes up the debate on drilling for more domestic sources of oil and gas there are a number of companies, besides the obvious ones, that are poised to capture a lot of new business.

Turning my attention away from the wreckage on Wall Street, a small headline caught my eye.  Yesterday, the West African nation of Togo confirmed that a deadly virus discovered on a poultry farm with more than 4,500 birds was indeed H5N1, otherwise known as bird flu.

If by some chance you were visiting another planet last week, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. For the uninformed it was just another week of stock market recovery and positive gains for portfolios.

As the financial system crumbles, the impact on the individual investor and their stock dividends is unclear. With major Wall Street firms collapsing, insurance companies failing, and banks struggling to survive, billions of dollars in stock valuation has disappeared. Will your retirement account do the same?

News out this morning that Kraft Foods, Inc. (KFT) has been chosen to replace American International Group (AIG) as a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average sent its shares higher.  Investors rushed to get into the stock ahead of its formal inclusion in the widely followed benchmark on September 22.

Deal? No wait, no deal. Wait, deal. The on-again-off-again negotiations to save American International Group, Inc. (AIG) were finally completed this week with the Federal Reserve stepping in to save the mammoth insurance company.

Once upon a time, the airline industry was just about the most hated sector on Wall Street. Not only had investors run out of patience, but their customers had as well. Now it seems that the tide is turning -- airline stocks have become some of the best performers since mid-July. 

Do we dare say it?  It has become a sport this week to predict the shoe that will drop next. Why not join the fray with a bold prediction that Goldman Sachs (GS) may be the next target for calamity? It's hard to believe it has come to this and yet that is where we sit today. Even worse, we all should have seen it coming.

Safety and diversification are two of my favorite words during times of economic turmoil. Believe it or not, there are a number of stocks that offer investors the combination of the two during these difficult times.

For the first time during the current financial crisis, I found myself lost for words. After the market closed yesterday, the rating agencies announced that they were cutting the ratings on American International Group, Inc. (AIG). Watching the drama unfold, it seems like AIG was marching to oblivion...

In high stakes poker, you better be able to lose the pot every now and then because at some point you will lose no matter how good you are. That is the circumstance Lehman Brothers (LEH) faced this weekend in a race for survival. With no buyers or investors willing to pump in needed capital, LEH was forced to put itself up for sale. What does this all mean for you, the individual investor?

This week, as we remember 9/11, I thought it a good time to focus on defense sector stocks. Big companies such as Boeing (BA), Lockheed-Martin (LMT), Raytheon (RTN) and Northrop Grumman (NOC) dominate the headlines in the defense sector, but don't overlook the companies that operate as subcontractors and that aren't covered widely by the financial news media. Endwave Corporation (ENWV) is one example.

Oil companies have become everyone’s favorite whipping boy over the past few years. Just mention Halliburton (HAL) or Exxon Mobil (XOM) at a cocktail party…