Stocks in 2012: Up, Up, But Not Away
The stock market's stomach-churning roller coaster will keep running, but unlike last year's flat finish, Wall Street experts anticipate stocks will end 2012 on a high note, with the S&P 500 up by 7%.
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Index of Leading Economic Indicators Rises
The Conference Board's Leading Economic Indicators Index rose 0.9% in October, outpacing increases in the previous two months and providing some grounds for hope of more robust economic growth to come.
Prepare for Higher Heating Bills this Winter
This winter's weather is forecast to be milder than last year's, but many Americans will get a cold chill when they open their heating bills. Average household spending for the season will rise for natural gas and propane, and those who use heating oil will see their highest winter bills ever.
NRF Forecasts a So-So Holiday Season for Retailers
The National Retail Federation is forecasting a less cheerful holiday season for America's stores, which means shoppers can expect to scoop up big discounts as retailers work harder to get cash registers ringing. But if you want the hottest gifts, you might want to buy early.
Is Walgreen Going Too Far With Its Higher Dividend?
Walgreen, the leading U.S. pharmacy chain, recently increased its quarterly dividend by 28.6%, the largest increase in the company's 110-year history, from 17.5 cents a share to 22.5 cents a share. But is it giving away cash it's really going to need for its expansion plans?
Back-to-School Spending Forecast to Rise 3.8%
Class, today's lesson in back-to-school shopping is what grownups call a good news/bad news situation. First, the goods news: Back-to-school spending is expected to increase over last year, according to the retail analyzer ShopperTrak. The bad news: Shoppers won't be coming to the store as much.
IBM Capitalizes on a Need to Make Cities Smarter
Last week, IBM announced its Intelligent Operations Center for Smarter Cities, aimed at providing in one easy package a software platform for cities to use in monitoring and managing city resources. Trefis sees this as a potentially huge boost IBM's lucrative middleware business.
Priceline Has Room to Rise With Jetstar Airways Deal
Priceline recently announced a partnership with Asian low-cost carrier Jetstar Airways: Now, Priceline will provide bookings at thousands of Asian hotel properties on Jetstar's website. The potential gains from the deal should move the needle on Priceline's stock.
Short Sellers See a Rebound Coming for Big Bank Stocks
Investors have generally taken a negative position on big banks lately: Major financial institutions face a host of issues that are punishing their bottom lines. However, some of Wall Street's most carefully watched investors -- short sellers -- are withdrawing their bets against them.
Poll: Nearly Half of Americans Fear Depression Is LIkely
Despite rosy financial forecasts made by economists this spring, our fears that the nation is about to sink into another depression are reaching depressing extremes. A new CNN poll reveals that nearly half of Americans believe a 1930s-scale depression is possible within the next 12 months.
Reading the Tea Leaves of the Shanghai Composite
The Shanghai Composite is as close to a proxy for public firms in China as investors can get, and indexes are believed to reflect where markets think a nation's economy is headed. So what does it mean that, despite China's white-hot growth, the Shanghai Composite has been seriously lagging the S&P 500?
SAP Knows: You Spend Money to Make Money
SAP showed healthy revenue growth in its recently announced first quarter earnings, but operating profits increased by far less. Why? Because the company is putting more money into operating expenses and R&D, which sets it up for bigger profits in the longer term.
Trefis Values LinkedIn at Just $30 a Share: Here's Why
Trefis put a value estimate of $30 a share on LinkedIn as it launched its IPO Thursday. Shares actually opened at $83, raced past $100, and closed at $94.25. Wondering why the Trefis estimate is so much lower? Let's re-examine the fundamentals, and how they arrived at that number.
Lowe's Incentive Program May Boost Its Market Share
As the competition between home improvement heavyweights Lowe's and Home Depot intensifies, customer service is emerging as one of the key features on which they will need to innovate. Lowe's latest attempt is a new incentive program for customers paying with the store's credit card.
Six Things That Have Changed for Investors
Friday's employment report has created an even hazier backdrop for stocks. Recent data showed an economy starting to cool, but with 244,000 jobs created in April, this expansion may have legs after all. But the economy's areas of support aren't what you'd have expected a few months ago.