Thanks to pricing discrepancies on Wall Street, you can actually buy a dollar's worth of stocks for $0.85 -- or perhaps even less than that. All you need to do is warm up to the sorely neglected realm of closed-end funds.
On Wednesday, in a shift that symbolizes a sea change in American business, Apple's market capitalization surpassed that of ExxonMobil, making the tech firm the world's most valuable company. Here's why it happened, and what the underlying changes mean for investors.
A bruising session on Wall Street Thursday wiped more than 500 points off the Dow - its worst drop since October 2008. Driving the fear is growing concern about the possibility of another recession. Will the selloff continue Friday? It all depends on the Labor Department's employment report.
The oil industry giants are embracing alternative technologies -- including biofuels, geothermal and solar. Right now, renewable sources provide only a tiny fraction of the profits they derive from oil and gas, but they'll have a real impact on the revenues of majors like BP, Exxon Mobil and Chevron in the not-so-distant future.
An unexpected jump in claims for unemployment benefits and plummeting oil prices are driving stocks lower. Oil prices fell 5% after the IEA said it would release 60 million barrels of oil to make up for the loss of Libyan exports.
We've already shared some ideas from our readers on ways to economize, squeeze extra miles out of your tank, and find surprising discounts. In the final part of this series, we'll take a peek at some of the more unusual methods that you offer for reducing pain at the pump.
Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips are all trading near multi-year highs, and even BP shares have done well recently. Still, while the high oil prices that have been pinching consumers have been great for the industry, there are good reasons not to count on those high stock values lasting.
Mergers and acquisitions are becoming ever more popular, with activity up 24% in the first two months of this year -- after already growing 23% in 2010. Here's how your portfolio can benefit from this trend.
Given the prospect of $4-plus gasoline this summer, what's an American to do? Beyond switching to a higher-MPG vehicle, you can consider buying some oil stocks with plenty of upside potential. Here are five candidates, if your risk appetite is hardy enough.
Can you profit from the turmoil in the Middle East? Oil is now flirting around $100 a barrel and gold is continuing its upward trend. For investors, this could present an opportunity in oil and gold stocks. Here is the bull and bear take on three stocks that could rise on Mideast unrest.
Stocks fell again on Wednesday, and oil prices briefly crossed the $100-a-barrel mark after violence escalated in Libya. Oil traders are spooked about the possible spread of turmoil. Tech bellwether HP's disappointing outlook also hurt.
With corporate earnings season in full swing -- watch for McDonalds, along with Catepillar, Amazon and other -- and with the Fed meeting on interest rates, the GDP estimate and housing numbers coming out -- the week ahead is expected to be quite busy.
Wall Street's consensus sees the S&P 500 tacking on an 11% gain over the next 12 months -- with lots of ups and downs along the way. That has us inclined to play defense, with an eye toward bargain stocks paying generous, sustainable dividends. Here are our top 11 picks for 2011.
