The latest American Institute of Architects Billings Index was released yesterday showing an increase in inquiries but a slight decrease in billings.  Inquiries hit their highest level since August 2008, right before Lehman's collapse and the market's nosedive.   Read More

The Consumer Price Index, a measure of the average price level of a basket of consumer goods and services, was up 0.3% for the month of October, while the core CPI rate, excluding energy and food, rose 0.2%.  On a year-over-year basis, consumer prices were down .2%.   Read More

With Monday's extension of the current rally, all but one of the S&P 500 now have market caps over $1 billion.  32 of these are still trading for less than $10 per share.   Read More

The Dollar Index is up for a second day in a row on Treasury Secretary Geithner's comments that the administration is committed to a stronger dollar.  Despite the small gain, the US Dollar is now down over 15% since March relative to a basket of foreign currencies and many traders are betting it will continue its slide.   Read More

Last Friday's employment report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the unemployment rate is now at 10.2%, its first foray above 10% and its highest level since 1983.  What lessons, if any, can we get from what happened to the markets when unemployment soared back then?   Read More

This weekend, the US House of Representatives passed its version of health care reform and now awaits a version from the Senate.  The debate has been heating up since earlier this summer when President Obama was pushing for legislation before the summer recess.  Here are the biggest S&P Health Care gainers and losers over while the debate has waged on.   Read More

The latest overall job loss numbers showed a loss of 190,000 jobs in September and the unemployment rate rose to 10.2%, the highest unemployment rate since April 1983.  The August and September numbers were revised as well.  Here is a breakdown of where the job losses were as well as which sectors were adding jobs.   Read More

Earnings season is coming closer to an end now that ~80% of the S&P 500 companies have reported earnings.  Here's a look at which companies have had the biggest surprises so far...   Read More

Gold hit another new record high this morning and was up over 1092 for the first time as the dollar fell.  The move represents a ~0.5% for the day and a ~20% gain for the past 6 months.  By comparison, gold's move is still far from where it was in 1979 - 1980.   Read More

A rapid devaluation of the U.S. dollar since early March has fueled a significant rally in commodity prices, prompting investors to wonder if some of the current gains are sustainable.   Read More