Centuries of natural selection have hardwired human beings to find patterns and imagine relationships. This wiring is the basis of such things as lucky charms, special pre-game meals, ominous black cats and the idea that rising global temperatures are caused by, rather than correlated with, industrialization. Given our superstitious nature, it could...

The 11.4% gain we saw for the S&P500 in only 5 trading sessions was unusual to say the least. Since 1950, there have been only 16 occasions when we saw “buying panics” like that. There was 1 loss (2001) 2 break-evens (‘01 and ‘02) and the rest saw healthy gains. (Source: Laszlo Birinyi)

Unemployment rates fell in half of US states last month, an improvement from August tweet18 Email Print Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer, On Friday October 21, 2011, 11:22 am WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment rates fell in half of U.S. states last month, a sign that September’s pickup in hiring was felt around the country. The...

By Matt Nesto | Breakout – 3 hours ago Now that NASA has gotten out of the rocket launching business, there must be an unemployed countdown expert out there somewhere, who could give the proper finesse and delivery to that famed phrase, “3 — 2 — 1 — Blastoff!” I say this because that is exactly what we are poised to see...

tweet3 Email Print Companies: Alcoa Inc. Common Stock Related Quotes Symbol Price Change AA 9.99 +0.28 Lynn Thomasson and Alexis Xydias, On Monday October 10, 2011, 2:07 am EDT Investors are increasing bearish trades around the world by the most in at least five years, convinced the lowest valuations since...

Germany’s Merkel and France’s Sarkozy say they have reached agreement on banking sector tweet1 Email Print Topics: International Juergen Baetz, On Sunday October 9, 2011, 12:40 pm BERLIN (AP) — The leaders of Germany and France, the eurozone’s two biggest economies, say they have reached agreement on strengthening...

Day traders may fall into decision fatigue by: http://www.tradersaccounting.com Small business owners such as day traders with many choices to make on a daily basis may find that rational, well-thought-out decisions are harder to form as the day wears on. When day trading, making split-second choices of what and when to buy and sell, along with informed...

Head of bank lobbying group rejects push for Greece’s private investors to take larger losses tweet2 Email Print Topics: International Gabriele Steinhauser, AP Business Writer, On Sunday September 25, 2011, 1:00 pm WASHINGTON (AP) — The international bank lobbying group that has been taking a leading role in negotiations...

by Mark Hulbert Friday, September 23, 2011 tweet7 Email Print Commentary: March 2009 low might be analogous to July 1932′s Playing a script from the 1930s? If we only could be so lucky … More from MarketWatch.com: • 5 Tips for Long-Term Investing as Markets Shudder • How to Reduce Risk but Stay in the Stock game • Copper,...

“Nasdaq had its best weekly gain since July 2009.” • Deutsche Bank Strategist Binky Chadha said that outflows from stock mutual funds were “comparable to those around March 2009” • Short interest relative to market capitalization has “exceeded any level going back to exceeded any level going back to 2009.” • Monthly Merrill Lynch...