Hope springs eternal among most stock strategists and Jeremy Zirin, chief equity strategist at UBS Wealth Management, is no exception. Zirin expects moderate gains in stocks this year and says the market will "continue to grind higher as the economy starts to improve."

Google controls 67% of the search engine market in the U.S. and nearly 90% of market in the U.K. The former underdog defied odds by trying to alter the shape of the Internet just 15 years ago. It is now the most visited Web site in the nation.

As 2012 comes to a close, it's that time of year again to list some of the best and worst CEOs over the past 12 months.

The relationship between the world's great economic powers — the U.S., Europe and China — will be in transition in 2013, and changing political leadership is a big reason why, says Daniel Franklin, editor of The Economist magazine's "The World in 2013."

It's been a tumultuous year for both Apple (AAPL) and its investors. The stock, once a darling of Wall Street, has fallen precipitously from its intraday high of $705.07 on Sept. 21; shares are down nearly 23% in three months (the stock is up 26.7% YTD).

Landline phones were replaced by mobile phones in 2001 and 11 years later it appears personal computers are going the way of the home phone. The number of Internet-connected mobile devices are projected to surpass the number of desktop and laptop personal computers in use in 2013.

Gary Shilling has been a long-time advocate of bonds, and he's not changing his tune as the market heads into the new year.

After getting burned in 2011 by betting against Treasuries, Bill Gross learned a time-honored lesson: Don't fight the Fed.

Income tax rates will go up for all Americans next month if lawmakers in Washington cannot come to a resolution on the so-called fiscal cliff. Even a deal will likely boost rates on capital gains and dividends, affecting investors in all asset classes.

The biggest economy in the U.S. is turning around, which could mean good news for the overall national economy.