In the continuing story of bailouts and seemingly endless supplies of government money, I take some solace that taxpayers are at least getting something for their charity. Insurer AIG is getting another $40.0 billion, but at least the government gets some preferred shares that pay decent interest, along…

Tuesday was positive in that major indices managed to reverse course during the last hour and finish higher on the day, with the exception of the NASDAQ. We like the ability of the market to extend the strong two-day rebound in stocks. It is clear that the market…

We are in the midst of a nasty and devastating bear market, with major U.S. indices down as much as 42% this year. Where it will end is still uncertain, as a firm bottom has yet to be established. In fact, we are witnessing a global slump. Bear…

We're going back to the old days of stock market speculation and investment. There will always be high flyers and the latest hot stock, but I think that both institutional and individual investors who want to be buying stocks in the future will focus their attention on solid…

What we need now is a period of stabilization and consolidation in capital markets, so we can reflect on what's happening in the economy. We also need third-quarter earnings season, so we can get the latest view from corporations. Some companies have already reported their third-quarter earnings and…

My favorite investment analyst must be ready to have kittens. Of course, Jim Rogers has advocated the abolition of the Federal Reserve for a number of years, and this latest government bailout must have him steaming. He argues that it was the central bank that helped create (but…

Many economists believe that the Far East resembles a speeding train en route to derailment. But, no worries, this article has nothing to do with logistics issues in the East Asian railway industry. Instead, it has everything to do with how emerging economies in the Far East are…

Recently, I talked about trouble in the sub-prime lending sector in the U.S., which got to be this way after lending money to just about anyone who came knocking at the door. Caution and risk analysis be darned -- credit was cheap and the bandwagon was roomy! Yet,…

As of late, accounting "errors" seem to be frequently occurring in some companies. First, Research In Motion had trouble accounting for its employee options. Now Imax Corp. is reviewing how it accounted for some of its operating costs. According to the company, it might be necessary to restate…

Our biggest trading partner, the U.S.A, is experiencing a slowdown, and so we lost some momentum as well. But, according to the Governor of Bank of Canada, David Dodge, this is only a short-term thing, a normal soft turn in the otherwise very healthy cycle. Canadian exporters to…

TASER International Inc. (NASDAQ/TASR) -- a maker of stun gun devices -- surged 19.41% to $6.52 on October 24 followed by an upside break of $7 the day after. An upgrade from Jefferies & Co. to Buy from Hold drove the buying frenzy in the troubled company that…

You have to give credit where credit is due. Treasury Secretary John Snow is doing a great job harping away about one of the most important financial issues facing the world. As you read about in a different perspective in Meg Jackson's commentary on Tuesday, China's currency, known…

Starting today, you can too! Dear Profit Confidential Reader: From this point forward you will never again settle for stocks that might take two, three, or four years to double your hard- earned money. You will begin racking up 500%, 1,000% and even 5,000% gains on nearly every…

Both my parents lived in occupied towns in Europe during WWII. My father tells a story about how a few gold coins that had been hoarded by his mother managed to buy a wheel of cheese that somehow escaped the detection of the hungry occupying force. The cheese…