bear market

Markets Nervous as Eurozone Finance Ministers Meet on Greece

Concerns that European finance ministers will again fail to reach an agreement on handing over more bailout cash to Greece weighed on markets Monday. In addition, an election in Spain's Catalonia region that saw separatists gain ground is also adding to global investor worries.

Wall Street Watch: Activision Blizzard Earnings Get Bonus Points

Activision Blizzard,the company behind the "Call of Duty," "Skylanders," and "World of Warcraft" video game franchises posted better than expected results after Wednesday's market close. Adjusted earnings more than doubled to $0.15 a share as revenue rose nearly 20% to $751 million.

Cramer Blames Monday's Market Slide on Europe

Jim Cramer of CNBC's Mad Money, appeared on Today to discuss Monday's stock market slide with Matt Lauer. Asked what Wall Street had really reacted to, Cramer said it wasn't the supercommittee's failure: "It's all Europe," he told Lauer.

Eight Stocks to Put on Your Bargain-Price Wish List

Who says volatility is all bad? The fearfully stumbling stock market means that some excellent stocks are trading at or near fire sale prices. For investors with the patience to wait for the right moment, here are eight companies to keep an eye on -- or to snap up right now.

Will U.S. Downgrade Bring On a Bear Market?

Standard & Poor's downgraded the U.S. debt rating for the first time on Friday. Coming on top of concerns of a second recession, the move has investors worried that we're headed into a bear market for stocks. Here's what that would look like.

Will Stock Market Reverse Course in the Second Half?

The S&P 500 was up by only 4% in the first half of 2011, and it fell about 1% in the second quarter. Will it end there? A sell-off may be about to begin that would take the index lower for the full year. Here are half a dozen reasons why one of history's most impressive stock market runs may have ended.

Could the S&P 500 Fall Another 20% in 2011?

After the losses of the past week, it seems hard to imagine that the S&P 500 has much further to decline. But the index took a fall to near 1,000 as recently as last July, and the issues that punished the markets then are looming over the economy again -- or perhaps, still.

Stocks Fall Again Due to European Debt Worries

Stocks closed lower for a second day, dragged down by technology companies and concerns about Europe's debts. European finance ministers approved $110 billion in rescue loans to Portugal on Monday, but have yet to decide on another rescue package for Greece.

Two Years After the Bottom: What's Ahead for Stocks?

Two years after the markets hit bottom on March 9, 2009, stock prices have rebounded significantly. But will the bull market keep rolling, or is a bear around the corner? Truth is, there's just as much uncertainty now as there was then.

Libya Isn't the Only Force Working Against Stocks

With Mideast turmoil chasing oil higher and stocks lower, it's a good time to check the charts and see what price levels seem to be key "lines in the sand." Some indicators have been warning for months that the steep rally was preparing to reverse.

How High (or Low) Could the Stock Market Go?

U.S. equities have piled on way-above-average returns in the last five months. But what can investors expect over the next few years? The charts show some patterns, and they hint that returns could revert to a longer-term, lower average -- but what might that be?

Lower Volatility Might Not Signal a Market Correction

The CBOE's Volatility Index, known as the VIX, has been trending lower, which many analysts consider a sign that stocks are due for a fall. But another argument says it's all relative, and in today's environment a lower VIX may suggest a continuing rally.

Rising Bullishness: A Sign to Sell or Justified Optimism?

A supposed truism on Wall Street is that betting against the crowd is always a wise move. And these days, the crowd is decidedly bullish. Yes, that's often a sign that the end is near. But right now, a good argument can be made that things will still get better.

Are Bullish Investors Signaling a Bear Market?

With analysts expecting the stock market to rally, investors are feeling bullish. But are they too bullish? High investor confidence has often signaled a market turn for the worse in the past. Other indicators also show cause for caution.

How the Bear Market Pundits Got It Wrong

The S&P 500 has rebounded 20% since its July 2010 low, which comes as bad news to perma-bears like Nouriel Roubini, Gary Shilling and Bill Gross, all of whom predicted the opposite. This raises several questions about how stocks move, and why pundits say the things they do.

What to Watch for in the Dollar's Moves

The dollar-stocks see-saw -- in which the two move in opposite directions -- seems to be holding up. And over the longer term, there's good reason for the dollar to stay on its recent upward trend, which would be bad news for stock prices.

Technical Market Analysis Warns: Mind the Gaps

Financial markets are becoming increasingly schizophrenic, ruled by erratic ups and downs. It's at times like these when technical analysis can help investors manage the emotional roller coaster, which is why for chart watchers, the catchphrase of the next few months could be "mind the gaps."

What the Stocks vs. Dollar Seesaw Is Saying Now

For a host of reasons, when the dollar spikes, stocks drop, and when the dollar falls, stocks soar. Right now, with dollar sentiment reaching maximum bearishness, contrarians are preparing for the next shift. If the dollar rises again, stocks could reverse.

Plenty of Optimism Could Signal a Bear Market Ahead

Investor sentiment is a remarkably accurate contrarian indicator: When investors become exuberantly bullish, the market is nearing a high, and when investors are strongly bearish, market lows are a good bet. Be warned: Right now, the charts show the sort of optimism that precedes a fall.

Investors, Here's What Not to Buy: The Pundits' Advice

Investing is a jungle, and most of the so-called experts who get quoted in the media are on the prowl with a simple purpose -- to give you a reason to trade. But they don't know much more than you do, and all their arguments ignore a basic reality: The market is now controlled by short-term traders.

Three Contrarian Stock Picks for 2011

If you're tired of watching your stocks go up and down without making any firm gains, consider a contrarian investment strategy. It's riskier, but the payoff can be big. Contrarian fund manager Don Hodges offers three stock picks for 2011.

Forget Stocks. This Year, Bonds Have Had More Fun

It's no secret that stock investors have suffered through roller-coaster volatility this year for little or no return, while bond investors have been having a ball. The longest-dated Treasury mutual funds have returned nearly 20%. Stocks, meanwhile, have done zilch.

Hedge Your Risk With Mixed-Asset Mutual Funds

Stocks are underperforming so far in 2010, and Treasury bond yields are low, too. So how can you get good returns without excessive volatility? Standard & Poor's Equity Research suggests mixed-asset mutual funds, which capture the strengths of both stocks and bonds.

Weak Economic Growth Will Hit Corporate Profits

If you're wondering how corporations can be enjoying a sharp rebound in profits even as the U.S. economic recovery remains so weak, David Rosenberg of Gluskin Sheff has your answer: They won't be enjoying it for much longer.

Growth and Deflation Fears Drop Stocks 3.3% This Week

Just a week ago, better-than-expected earnings sent stocks soaring. But this week, renewed worries from the Fed about the U.S. economic recovery led the forces pushing stocks down about 375 points over a three-day period.

As the Bear Shows Its Teeth, Where Do Stocks Go Next?

Investors are reeling after Wednesday's global decline in the equity markets, as the Dow fell 265 points and the S&P 500 lost over 2%. Some key charts suggest that the battle between bulls and bears is approaching an important turning point.

A Surprise 1% Drop in June's Durable Goods Orders

U.S. durable goods orders unexpectedly fell 1% in June, their largest decline since August 2009. That was in sharp contrast to the predictions of the Bloomberg survey, which had forecast orders to increase 1%. The drop provides more evidence that the nation's economic recovery has slowed.