In what appears to be a bet consumers will stick with discount retailers even after the economy rebounds, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway increased its Wal-Mart holdings by almost 90 percent during the summer.  It added almost 18 million shares, currently worth almost $1 billion, in the third quarter.   Read More

The companies that are in the market are much stronger in terms of earnings power, said Bernard Lirola, a Morningstar 5-star-rated fund manager at Needham Growth. He gave the following actionable investment plays to investors.    Read More

Thursday's economic reports should paint a fairly current picture of the state of manufacturing, housing, and the consumer, all key pillars of the economy.
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Traders are looking straight past quarter end to the September jobs report at the end of the week.
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Wall Street will quickly shift its focus to corporate earnings news once the books are closed on the third quarter this week.
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October could bring some rock and roll back to the stock market. "It's been a good run so far, so we should expect some kind of turbulence," said J.P. Morgan chief equities strategist Thomas Lee.   Read More

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Key events and data to look out for on Thursday.   Read More

The challenge for markets Thursday will be whether weekly jobless claims and existing homes sales confirm the Fed's view that the economy and housing are getting better.   Read More

With little else to sway it, the stock market should continue to trade quietly ahead of the Fed's Wednesday afternoon statement.   Read More