Market Commentary

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus rally
Lower tax rates may not get the economy back on track again. But they may spare investors from a nasty little sell-off at the end of the month.

Thanks for nothing, Corporate America
If you're a CEO of a major company you probably have a lot to be thankful for on Turkey Day. The government reported Tuesday that corporate earnings hit a record in the third quarter.

It's not just the economy, stupid
In the coming days and weeks, leading Democrats will make the case that their historic trouncing at the polls last night was the inevitable fallout of a brutal economy. There's a bit of déjà vu here: George Bush blamed his plummeting approval ratings on an unpopular war.

Republicans beware: Seeking blood usually leaves you bloody
In the fall of 1996, I sat inside weekly strategy meetings of conservative activists, as part of research for my book, Gang of Five, chronicling the rise of the baby-boomer right. The war-room host was famed anti-tax activist Grover Norquist and with Bill Clinton on the verge of re-election, the question on the table was this: How to convince lawmakers to open impeachment proceedings against the President?

Throwing darts at takeover targets
Psst. Did you hear about how Oracle is going to buy AMD and then Google is going to acquire Oracle, and Apple will merge with Google?

Foreclosures: Next shoe to drop for banks?
Bank stocks have been shellacked lately as investors worry about what impact the foreclosure scandal will have on the results for the nation's largest financial institutions.

Why dividends are sexy again
Dividends used to be only something your grandmother could love. But nowadays, even many growth companies are tripping over themselves to reward shareholders with a quarterly payout.

Markets dancing in September. But why?
I highly doubt that funk legends Earth Wind & Fire were referring to the markets when they wrote the song "September." But the opening line is strangely appropriate for this September.

The overcast economy: Get used to it
Surprise! The economy isn't all rainbows, puppies, kittens and sunshine after all.

Time for Tim to act tough
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner proposed tough new rules Tuesday, saying they could prevent another AIG debacle.