rally

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.

There's a frenzy of stock buying going on now, because no one wants to be left out of the stock market recovery. But all those who are betting on short-term gains are engaged in what I call "wrong ball investing." Here's how to keep your eye on the right ball.

When the government releases documents under the Freedom of Information Act, it still has to protect human beings' personal privacy. This week, AT&T asked the Supreme Court to apply the same privacy principle to corporations. A ruling is months away, but it didn't sound like even the conservative wing of the court was buying it.

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.

Republican leaders may be worried about the Federal Reserve's second round of quantitative easing, but the stock and credit markets are delighted: They've improved significantly since the plan was announced. But can the rally be solely attributed to QE2?

If the extension of the Bush tax cuts triggers a market rally, as many expect, investors will likely rush in. But caution is advised: High prices can also mean high risk. Here are some tips from Alan Lancz, director of research at LanczGlobal.com, on how investors can avoid getting burned.

The midterm elections and the third year of a president's term in office have historically led to a stock market rally. If history repeats itself, expect stocks to rise about 8.5% in the next three months and again -- more than 10% -- during 2011.

The U.S. dollar and U.S. stocks have a see-saw relationship: When one is up, the other is down. If the dollar is now bottoming out and ending its long decline, that could spell bad news for equities going forward.

With all the grim economic news out of Europe and China and the disappointing U.S. jobs report, a stock market rally may seem counterintuitive. But several technical signals suggest that the market is ready for a modest rally in the next few weeks.

Investors, analysts and strategists forever debate whether the equity markets are properly valued. That's the whole point of investing, after all, to figure out whether an asset is cheap, and thus poised to go higher, or too expensive, and so set for a fall. There's a bull and a bear case for...