Archives for February 2015

February 2015 - Page 17 of 18 - Money Morning - Only the News You Can Profit From

Why the Price of Oil Is Surging - in One Picture

The price of oil is still on the rise today (Tuesday). As of 12:35 p.m. GMT (7:35 a.m. EST) today, Brent traded at $56.38 a barrel, a nearly 3% gain from its previous value.

That puts Brent oil up 14% since last Friday (Jan. 30). And on that day, Brent surged 8% – its biggest one-day gain since 2009.

WTI crude traded this morning at $50.88, up roughly 2.6% since Monday night.

Oil prices are surging for one reason, and this picture says it all...

Stock Market Futures Up Today as Crude Oil Prices Climb

Good Morning! Stock market futures today (Tuesday) forecast a 43-point increase for the Dow from yesterday's close.

The Dow Jones jumped 196 points Monday in a volatile trading session. Why the rise? Oil prices surged again after a massive strike at U.S. refineries created supply concerns and speculation continued over production cuts from domestic oil firms.

What to Watch Today: This morning, optimism for a debt deal between Greece's new left-wing leadership and the European Union boosted the markets.

Here's what else you should know about the stock market today - including your "Money Morning Tip of the Day" - to make it a profitable Tuesday:

Dow Jones Climbs 196 Points on Oil, Energy Sector Gains

The Dow Jones jumped 196 points Monday in a volatile session. Why the rise? Oil prices surged again after a massive strike at U.S. refineries created supply concerns.

The ISM manufacturing index hit 53.5 in January, well below expectations of 54.5. Meanwhile, consumer spending in December saw its largest decline since 2009 despite falling energy prices.

Here are the other top market stories from today - plus our new profit tip for investors...

Better Investing Strategies Can Cut Demographic Risks

As developed nations age, birth rates drop, and populations decline, investing strategies need to change.

And Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald says no country illustrates this trend better than Japan. That country's population is expected to fall by 30 million by 20148.

But Fitz-Gerald does not advise pulling out of Japan – or any market today with an aging population.

Instead, he has an investing strategy that will prevail despite these risks...

Three Investing Trends We Spotted in 2015's Super Bowl Ads

Super Bowl XLIX aired on Feb. 1, and with it, 56 Super Bowl ads.

Each 30-second spot cost an average $4.5 million, up from $4 million in 2014. And while viewership numbers aren't out yet for 2015, last year's Super Bowl wrangled more eyes than the Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe awards combined. You can be sure each ad was painstakingly scrutinized over and over again by mad scientist ad execs. They spent millions to spoon-feed messages to a mass of unassuming, open-minded viewers.

But there's a whole other side of the Super Bowl ad game – one that shows investors where the profits are…

Take a look at what we learned from 2015's ads...

These 33 Stocks That Pay Dividends Boosted Payouts Last Week

Last week's Dow Jones performance is yet another reason to buy stocks that pay dividends. The index shed nearly 500 points.

Dividend payers tend to be less volatile than nonpayers and hold up better when the market slips. In 2008, dividend-paying stocks lost an average of 39% on a total-return basis. But nonpayers shed 45.4%. In 2002, nonpayers plunged 30.3%. Dividend stocks lost just 10.9%.

Here's a list of 33 notable payout hikes and special dividends from the week ending Jan. 30, 2015...