"The combination of a dividend early in the year, steady earnings growth all four quarters and the expected return of an investment grade credit rating..."

"No one knows what's in the fracking water and what the long-term impact might be. Already, regulators are ready to pounce..."

"Facebook and Zynga go public in a stream of social media IPOs, while Twitters launches a sustainable business model... "

"Look for J.C. Penney to be formally rechristened JCP and JCP.com, with the perception of becoming the hottest and possibly hippest mass merchant and retail turnaround since ..."

"While it's possible TV ratings can still hold, the shortened 66-game NBA season, with games crammed into mid-week, means attendance will suffer..."

"The splintering of the Android OS will start to pose major problems, but the bigger story will be Amazon's success in ripping Android's developer community apart ..."

"The stock market will experience a huge rally that will make suckers of all the pessimists like me. Shorts will get clobbered; those sitting on the sidelines will look foolish ... "

"The secular move into bonds, coupled with easy money around the world, will continue to push bond yields ..."

"Gold will top $2,400 an ounce. The long-term bull market in gold marches on, but expect prices to experience some pullbacks when the US dollar is strengthening ..."

"The ECB will be left with little choice in saving banks and their sorry sovereigns other than to print, print, print euros..."

"Nothing will be certain in 2012, so unless you’re prepared to stomach wild market swings, it might be best to stay in cash ... "

"Foreclosures will come quickly through the winter and spring months and then abate toward year's end. The downward pressure on overall home prices will put more borrowers underwater and ..."

"On the surface, a tax on financial transactions seems to make sense. But all participants know that without full participation in Europe and the U.S. transactions will simply move across borders ... "

"He will still be running Berkshire Hathaway one year from now, Buffett will bag another 'elephant' in 2012, and Buffett won't lie low ... "

"The over-investment in housing will finally catch up with China, with property prices falling and many investors getting burned. Still, the correction will disappoint the doomsayers..."

"Shoppers will pick through the after-holiday sales, and then put their wallets away for the rest of the year. Why? High unemployment ..."

"Sorry, Occupy Wall Street. Don't expect a parade of CEO perp walks. The conduct that gave rise to the financial crisis was so widespread..."

"The US economy surprises on the upside. Housing, autos, employment and trade will boost growth. Consumer confidence will continue to rise, as well..."

"Like the Lehman crisis in 2008, there will be major casualties that we cannot yet predict. The big question is who will be AIG in 2012?"

"With the Fed on hold, and the economy chugging along at slow speed, stocks can still go higher. It should prove better to be a stock-picker than to just rely on returns from sectors and indices ..."

"Mitt Romney defuses concerns over his religion, and flip-flopping, and narrowly wins the presidency. The GOP completes a "trifecta," holding on to the House and ... "