Fed Needs Clear Low-Rate Pledge or

Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans said the central bank needs a clear low- rate commitment or a third round of purchases of Treasuries and mortgage bonds to further stimulate a still struggling economy.
People outside the Fed have

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Investment pros are diving back in

Even as anxiety-ridden individuals play it safe in low-yielding bank accounts, professional investors are showing renewed confidence in the stock market.
Bullishness among institutional investors has reached its highest level since last summer, and their buying has been powering the stock market’s surprising early-year advance, according to a new analysis by TrimTabs Investment Research. The Dow […]

The free credit score industry has been booming since the recession as a lot of people hit hard times and want to keep an eye on how the recession has affected their credit standing.

At $400 billion, Apple is worth more than Greece

Apple’s value on the stock market briefly rose to $400 billion on Thursday, a record high for what was already the world’s most valuable technology company.
The company’s market cap slipped below the $400 billion mark by midday as Apple’s (, Fortune 500) stock fell back from the all-time high of $431.37 it set earlier […]

9 eurozone nations downgraded by S&P

Standard & Poor’s said Friday that it has downgraded the credit ratings of nine euro area governments, including AAA-rated France and Austria.
S&P lowered its rating for Italy, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus by two notches. The move means Italian bonds are now rated BBB+, dangerously close to the junk bond level that could make […]

Republican Senators Say Fed Overstepped Its Role With Advice on Housing - Bloomberg

Republican Senators Orrin Hatch of Utah and Bob Corker of Tennessee criticized the Federal Reserve for overstepping its role by making policy recommendations on how the U.S. government should try new ways to spur the housing market.
Hatch, the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said the housing study sent by Chairman Ben S. […]

Jobless claims fall 15,000 last week

Private-sector hiring surged in December as employers added 325,000 new workers while claims for jobless benefits fell, raising hope that recent labor market improvement would continue in 2012.
The ADP National Employment Report’s December job tally surprised economists who had expected a 178,000 gain. It was also well above the 204,000 private jobs added in […]

What might you buy this year?

EQUITIES
Analysts tend to favor large U.S. stocks. Things abroad are still too worrisome, they say.
Mark Keller, CEO of Confluence Investment Management, likes big stocks with dividends. On his list are Ferguson-based Emerson along with 3M, PepsiCo, Microsoft and Wal-Mart. “They’re reasonably priced, pay a nice dividend, and they have rising dividends,” he says.
“They might go […]

U.K. Bonds Prove Best in World as Cameron Sidesteps Stresses in Euro Area - Bloomberg

The U.K. is home to this year

Banker Who Fled Kim Jong Il Says New Leader May Open North Korean Economy - Bloomberg

Kim Jong Un may relax state controls over North Korea

Twenty-plus Sears and Kmart stores in region could be up for closure

Sears Holdings says its hasn’t yet determined which 100 to 120 Kmart and Sears stores it will close after a disappointing holiday sales season.
The company, which has 4,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, announced today that it would close this number of stores after sales at its Kmart and domestic Sears stores in this […]