LOAD FUNDS that charge transaction fees only when shares are sold appeal to people who want all their money put to work the instant they invest it. But lately "B" shares -- the class of shares in mutual funds on which "back-end" fees are typically…

If there was ever a time that investors need reassurance that their interests are being looked after by a vigorous board of directors, this is it. So mutual-fund shareholders can take some comfort in knowing that the majority of independent…

Equities are being pushed and pulled in this abbreviated session by the sectors at the heart of Friday's two big stories: Black Friday and the plunge in oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is getting more lift from retailers than drag from…

While Monday's rally has shown few signs of easing up, trading volume has remained quite low throughout the session. Barring some extraordinary jump the final two hours of trading, NYSE Composite volume is on pace to finish among the lowest…

Stock markets shook off early weakness by late morning, and an afternoon fade was countered by the now common late-day rally into the close. Considering the tension building in the Ukraine ahead of Sunday's Crimea referendum, it's pretty remarkable…

NUEVA YORK (EFE Dow Jones)--El ya de por sí flojo tono de la bolsa estadounidense en la apertura se ha intensificado tras la publicación del índice de gerentes de compras de enero, que ha sido mucho más flojo de lo esperado. El ISM marcó 51,3 en…

Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley backed his buy rating and boosted his price target to $550 from $530 after Tuesday’s event. He said the new high-end iPhone, the 5S, has “very competitive” specs compared to competitive handsets that operate…

Materials, tech and financials each finished up more than 1% as investors seemed to embrace hopes -- once again -- for burgeoning global economic recovery. Meanwhile, Treasury yields eased a little more, lifting some of the recent tension over…

Corporate earnings have helped hoist the broad market to all-time highs, though a closer look into S&P 500 second-quarter profit growth reveals a narrowly focused picture. Twenty companies -- 4% of the index -- are on track to produce nearly 35% of…

U.S. stock futures get choppy after a sharp downward revision to first-quarter GDP data, though they're now settling into the same zone they occupied just prior to the data release. GDP grew at a 1.8% annual rate from January through March, the…

Quite a comedown for U.S. stocks at this point in the session, as major averages slide into negative territory after earlier spiking higher upon release of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's prepared testimony. Dow industrials were up almost 155 points at…

Sure, there are a couple of Dow 15000 hats floating around, but the hoopla in the wake of the index's latest conquest seems limited, and for good reason. Fanfare is typically reserved for achievement, and this milestone has all the accomplishment of…

Kindly show some restraint with the superlatives being thrown around to describe the U.S. housing recovery. It's improving, but in a very been-down-so-long-it-looks-like-up-to-me sort of way, with many facets. Consider this relative bright spot in…

It's a good thing the Dow's run to fresh record highs is helping contribute to the "wealth effect" - because wages and salaries certainly aren't. Average hourly earnings for all private employees crept to $23.78 in January from an inflation adjusted…

Plunge in Apple shares on Thursday puts the whammy on the Nasdaq, but the Dow and S&P 500 soldier on, marking fresh five-year highs despite looking fatigued near the close. Stocks were making their standard final-hour sprint higher, but ran out of…

IBM is scheduled to report its fouth-quarter results Tuesday after the closing bell. If the past is any guide, investors' reaction could be noisy. IBM shares have lurched sharply following its past six quarterly reports, and with the blue-chip…

Make hay while the sun is shining, boys. US stock markets are fueled and poised on the pad, ready to launch sharply higher after Congress does the bare minimum to avoid a heap of fiscal pain. The risk trade is on. S&P futures up about 25, and Dow…

At its core, Black Friday is really a celebration of consumerism in America, so it's useful to take a peek at where shoppers get some of their firepower. As of September, cash coming from Uncle Sam (transfer receipts) contributed 17.7% of total…

Let's not make too much of today's gaudy rally, as US stocks bust out in an abbreviated session with thin participation. It's an extension of an oversold rally launched Monday and finishes today with the Dow industrials up 3.3% for the week and…

Investor psychology was "excessively bullish" six weeks ago, and has since "moved to the center," Baird strategist Bruce Bittles writes. It's likely pessimism will need to reach extreme levels "before a good bottom is found in the stock market." A…