market outlook

U.S. stock futures are higher with the government reporting that weekly jobless claims edged downward last week, suggesting that employers may accelerate hiring this month.

Markets dipped Monday after official data confirmed that Spain is back in its second recession in three years. Investors had initially bid up stocks on hopes that the Fed would provide more stimulus to the U.S. economy.

The S&P 500 gained 4.4% in January, the biggest increase for that month in 15 years. But the 10 best performers in the index had share gains for the month from 27% to a whopping 77%. Which are these rising stars -- and which might have more room to rise? Read on:

Sure, you could make your investment decisions based on boring methods like research and analysis. Or you could take a more exciting approach: Leading Asian brokerage CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets has released its "feng shui index" for year of the black water dragon.

On Friday, it looked like this week would be ugly. Standard & Poor's had just downgraded the credit ratings of France and several other E.U. countries, the latest domino to fall in Europe's slow-motion economic train wreck. But at least in the U.S., the stock market has shrugged off that news.

For the first time in several decades, the 30-year annualized returns of Treasury bonds surpassed the dividend adjusted gains of the S&P 500 in 2011. Take a picture if you want -- because this won't last.

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%.

The S&P 500 is precariously close its 52-week low. If it breaks below that number, how much further might it fall? Recent history suggests the possibility of a long drop.

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.

The dollar and U.S. stock futures rose following President Barack Obama's announcement late Sunday night that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. Analysts said the boost to the currency was a signal of greater confidence in the United States and a reduction in national security risks.