General Electric’s $26 Billion Tailwind

Mar 31, 2013

ByJosh Arnold:

General Electric (GE) has been on an impressive run since late 2011, moving up roughly 65%, which currently leaves the stock near multi-year highs. There is at least one metric, ho…

The 411 For Your 401(k)

Mar 31, 2013

This is a guest post by Robert M. Kaplan, a CFP who is vice president and National Retirement Consultant for ING U.S.

15 Top Foreign Retirement Havens

Mar 31, 2013

Living overseas is different from just visiting. Before you retire to a foreign country, consider not just the weather and cost of living, but also healthcare; safety; tax and visa requirements; and how friendly the country is to foreigners. Here are some possibilities.

China PMI Shows Modest Improvement

Mar 31, 2013

The HSBC China Manufacturing PMI shows Modest improvement in operating conditions.

After adjusting for seasonal factors, the HSBC Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI™) – a composite indicator designed to provide a single-figure snapshot of operating conditions in t he manufacturing economy – posted 51.6 in March, up from 50.4 in February, s…

Date Intel, Marry Apple, Kill Blackberry

Mar 31, 2013

ByQuoth the Raven:

Everyone remembers their favorite childhood game used to pass the time in waiting rooms, car rides, and other places that never provided much immediate sensory stimulation when you were a child or teen.

I was discussing this with a colleague a few…

Stock market rally may lose steam

Mar 31, 2013

The good news: experts think stocks will remain in record territory. The bad news: they don’t think stocks will end the year much higher from where they are now.

Chart of the Week: SP500

Mar 31, 2013

Chart of the Week Video: SP500
This week’s Chart of the Week goes to the SP500 for making a new all time closing high.   In its march towards these all time highs, the US equity markets have defied all of the skeptics, have steam rolled all of the naysayers, and have rendered every metric to measure market and economic health absolutely u…

Lessons From the Newest Electronic Money – Bitcoin

Mar 31, 2013

One of the more interesting developments of the electronic age of money has been the rise of Bitcoin, a decentralized digital currency. If you’re not familiar with it or you’re confused by what bitcoin is, you’re not alone. It’s actually a fairly sophisticated and complex form of money. That’s right, bitcoin is money.

The post

Gauging Investor Sentiment with Twitter: New Update

Mar 31, 2013

Apr 01, 2013 Blair Jensen  The Downside Hedge Twitter sentiment indicator for the S&P 500 Index (SPX) is starting to show some strength but without much enthusiasm. Although daily sentiment is painting higher lows and has a good uptrend line, it isn’t acting like it should when price breaks out to new highs. Thursday’s move ca…

Mario Darghi’s Headfake is Wearing Off

Mar 31, 2013

 
The EU Crisis went into overdrive in the spring of 2012 when the Spanish banking system as a whole nearly collapsed. Having pumped €1 trillion into EU banks via its LTRO 1 and LTRO 2 programs in December 2011 and February 2012, the European Central Bank found itself facing a problem far greater than Greece (Spain’s banking system is…

New Cyprus Business Model: 20% Fee To Move Millions Offshore

Mar 31, 2013

After being told that the Cypriot business model was broken, the ever-resilient people of this ‘storm in a teacup’ island have, by all appearances, taken up their entrepreneurial sickles to make hay while the Troika sun shines. As the FT reports, the hunt is on for many Cypriot bank account holders to find ways to circumnavigate the new Draconian cap…

Crossroad Ahead for Investors

Mar 31, 2013

Investors find themselves having to constantly look over their shoulder to see when the Fed will shift gears or risk losing what they have gained.

Fewer IPO Deals, but a Bigger Take

Mar 31, 2013

Most of the IPOs launched in the U.S. in the first quarter managed big gains, a trend bankers said bodes well for deal activity in the months ahead.