by Jim Bach
The Federal Open Market Committee Meeting (FOMC) meeting minutes were expected to mirror the same sentiments and monetary policy guidelines the U.S. Federal Reserve has been touting for months.
And on that front, this minutes release did not disappoint.
But that doesn’t mean these minutes were not important. Here’s what to look for moving forward…
Why oil is down today: Crude oil prices continue to plummet today (Wednesday) as West Texas Intermediate dropped to $86.83 per barrel for November delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange. That was WTI's lowest price since April 17, 2013.
Brent crude was trading at $91.51 per barrel just after 1:00 pm.
Here’s why crude oil prices have continued to drop dramatically over the past three months…
by Shah Gilani
"Price fixing" or "fix" are Wall Street terms used to describe how benchmarks are priced on hundreds of instruments, from the Libor and other foreign currency exchange rates to gold, silver, and swaps.
While the methodologies used to determine fixes are different, in all cases where benchmarks are fixed by panels, the input of the bankers is what results in the output.
But here’s where things get a little… funny.
by David Zeiler
As governments get more aggressive about curbing sweetheart deals that allow many U.S. companies to drastically lower their corporate taxes, it will take a big bite out of their profits – and that's bad news for stocks.
The European Commission is currently investigating the corporate tax avoidance strategies of Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), and Starbucks Corp. (Nasdaq: SBUX). But those three companies are only the trickle before the flood.
Make no mistake: this train is headed straight for Wall Street…
Wearable tech is expected to grow 78.4% through the end of 2018. If we want to get on the road to wealth that tech provides, then this is a sector we must cash in on.
But I don't want us to get hurt by messing with risky stocks.
by Jim Bach
Ever since former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced the tapering of the Fed's current bond-buying program in December, the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes have been unsurprising and awash in technical central-banker jargon.
It's followed the same pattern each time: the Fed will have its meetings, release a statement, and then three weeks later they will release the minutes of that meeting as per Fed protocol.
But, here’s why these minutes are important, if for no other reason than the timing of them…
by Tara Clarke
Public sentiment is shifting toward recreational marijuana use in the U.S., and that's a good sign for pot stocks – and investors who get in ahead of the boom…
But, it's also benefiting Peyton Manning…?
Here’s the story (plus how to make money)...
Dow Jones today, October 8, 2014: The Dow Jones Industrial Average slumped heavily Tuesday after renewed concerns about global growth reemerged and investors took money off the table ahead of earnings season. The sharp selloff was led by cyclical stocks, which are typically tied to the pace of economic growth.
Here’s what else you should know to make your Wednesday profitable…
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After printing $4 trillion since 2008, we've little to show for it.
Endless debates about the effectiveness of QE, or its lack thereof, haven't spawned better decisions, especially in Europe. Think periphery nations like Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
Better yet, take a look at the stock market, where worries about Europe's economy rattled investors. It's certainly not a pretty picture….
Recently one European national leader offered a somewhat unique response for dealing with the financial crisis and debt bubble.
It appears an unorthodox, yet sound, approach on the surface. But when you scratch beneath, it turns out just the opposite is true.
Developed economies would do well to consider the true state of this country's example of a "model" recovery before an even more catastrophic, debt-ridden future arrives, and erupts… Full Story
by Diane Alter
The number of companies racing to find an Ebola treatment is increasing. All drugs remain in the testing stage, but that hasn't stopped investors from piling into these "Ebola stocks."
Chimerix (Nasdaq: CMRX) climbed 5% Monday on reports that the Ebola patient in Dallas is being treated with its drug, brincidofovir.
More than a half-dozen "Ebola stocks" are in the race for approved treatment – but read this before investing…
