Archives: July 2009

Grantham: Are Stocks Fairly Priced?

Posted by: Ben Steverman on July 31

Better-than-expected economic data bolster the case that the recent stock market rally was based on solid fundamentals. According to the U.S. GDP report, the economy contracted 6.4% in the first...

Dividends - more bad news and a starting list of new ones

Posted by: Howard Silverblatt on July 30

The actual July 2009 S&P 500 payments are 32% off the July 2008 payment, and the worst July since 2002 Year-to-date S&P 500 holders have been paid $29.5 billion less...

How Fast Should Financial Advisers Return Phone Calls?

Posted by: Lauren Young on July 27

The simple act of returning phone calls promptly is the most important action a financial adviser can take, according to a survey from Spectrem Group. When asked about an acceptable...

The Stock Market: Going Up?

Posted by: Ben Levisohn on July 23

U.S. stock markets rallied today, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Standard & Poors 500 stock Index and the NASDAQ Composite all finishing the day up over 2%. Both...

Rare Optimism from Caterpillar's CEO

Posted by: Ben Steverman on July 21

The recession has been tough on companies like Caterpillar (CAT). The heavy equipment maker has slashed production and cut thousands of jobs. Investors have seen Caterpillar shares lose half their...

CIT Shares Rally as Company Seeks to Avoid Bankruptcy

Posted by: Ben Levisohn on July 17

CIT Group may not declare bankruptcy after all. Reports say that the beleaguered lender may receive as much as $3 billion from Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase, while bondholders are...

Retire later? New study says many actually leave sooner

Posted by: Amy Feldman on July 15

Especially since the financial crisis began, people have been saying they'll solve their retirement woes by working longer. The reality, according to a new study from the Employee Benefit Research...

Global Sales Report – It's Not Just Jobs

Posted by: Howard Silverblatt on July 14

For the full report click here I just released my annual S&P 500 Global sales report, and as has become the custom, the annual reports are full of nice glossy...

McGraw-Hill Confirms It's Mulling Strategic Options For BusinessWeek

Posted by: Dan Beucke on July 13

The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. today said it is evaluating “strategic options” for BusinessWeek. For media columnist Jon Fine's take on the matter, click here....

Should Financial Advisers Be Fiduciaries?

Posted by: Lauren Young on July 09

The already-hot debate about the fiduciary responsibility of financial advisers is scorching. Registered investment advisers, who are regulated by the Securities & Exchange Commission as well as individual states, are...

Family Dollar: The Recession's Best Stock

Posted by: Ben Steverman on July 08

Of the 500 stocks in the S&P 500, (according to data from Capital IQ) fewer than 20 have actually risen in value in the economic downturn of the past 18...

Why Can't Minorities Save More for Retirement?

Posted by: Lauren Young on July 07

Why can’t minorities—particularly those who are professionals—save more for retirement? New research out from the Ariel Education Initiative, Hewitt Associates and several other partners shows that African-American employees who earn...

Health Care Stocks: In For a Long Year?

Posted by: Ben Steverman on July 02

Health care stocks are among the riskiest games investors can play these days. The reason, of course, is the health care reform effort, spearheaded by President Barack Obama and winding...

Stocks: Is "Buy and Hold" Still Best?

Posted by: Ben Steverman on July 02

PNC, in its July 2009 Investment Outlook, asks whether the "buy and hold" investing philosophy no longer works. PNC's investment strategist, E. William Stone, does a good job of clarifying...