US stocks posted solid gains after Pulte Homes (NYSE: PHM) agreed to buy Centex Corp, forming the nation’s biggest homebuilder and life insurers rallied at the prospects of a government bailout. Read More

US stocks tumbled for a second consecutive day as expectations for quarterly earnings—not to mention ongoing economic weakness—did little to boost investor sentiment. Read More

The three major US stock indexes dropped today after concerns emerged once again about earnings in the financial sector. Read More

The rally has legs. I suspect we’ll see the S&P 500 continue its climb for at least another month, probably running back to the 950 to 1,000 level. However, as I’ve often written lately, I seriously doubt we’re looking at a straight line higher from here. Those looking for a quick return to the bull market days leading up to the 2007 top are likely to be sorely disappointed. Read More

US stocks finished positive after Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke indicated that the regulator’s efforts to inject liquidity into the markets are finally having an effect. Read More

The three major US stock indexes surged after regulators approved changes to mark to market accounting rules that will help banks avoid further writedowns on some securities. Read More

The three major US stock indexes continued their strong performance, as a slight improvement in a leading manufacturing index bolstered hopes that the economy, though undoubtedly weak, might be stabilizing. Read More

The three major US stock indexes rallied today, though earlier gains were eroded by a wave of late selling. Shares in the much-maligned financial sector climbed after the three-month TED Spread, a measure of banks’ borrowing costs, moderated slightly. Read More

The three major US stock indexes tumbled on reports that the some banks will need significant government assistance to recover. Meanwhile, the travails of the domestic auto sector likewise did little to bolster investor sentiment. Read More

This rally could continue in fits and starts for at least another month. Ultimately, however, I’m looking for the market to retest recent lows sometime late this spring or over the summer. A more likely window for a real rally would be in the back half of the year; if the US economy does see a recovery in 2010, the market should begin rallying roughly five months ahead of the trough. Read More