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What started out as a normal, controlled pullback two weeks ago has morphed into another serious correction in the market, with the major indexes falling sharply this week—as of this morning, all of the major indexes we track are off more than 4% on the week, which has wiped out the nascent intermediate-term green light.

It’s been a mixed week for the major indexes—as of this morning, it’s been a bit of a reversal week, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq lower by 0.5% to 1% or so, but the small- and mid-caps are up 0.5% to 1% or so.

From a top-down perspective, the week has been fine—the S&P 500 and Nasdaq are down less than 1% on the week as of this morning, while broader indexes (small and mid-caps) are up decently. All in all, that keeps the intermediate-term trend pointed nicely higher, with most indexes at least a few percent above their 50-day lines.

As we cruise toward the holiday season, it’s been another good week for the market—as of this morning, the S&P 500 is up nearly 2% while the Nasdaq, S&P 400 Midcap and S&P 600 SmallCap (now up seven weeks in a row!) all are up in the 2.5% to 3% range.

Today’s note includes earnings updates and the podcast.

We discussed a couple of weeks ago how early January is usually volatile, and this year has been no different—in fact, with the headlines out of Washington, D.C., Georgia and more, we’ve seen even more whippy action than normal, with big moves in the indexes and especially among individual stocks and sectors, with 4% moves up and down happening nearly every day.

I can’t resist noting that today one of the 10 Forever Stocks, Tesla Motors (TSLA), jumped 21% at the market open.

One of the benefits of being an income investor is that focusing on dividend-paying stocks automatically screens out companies without any revenues. Speculative starts ups, biotechs and other hopefulls simply don’t have the cash to dole out to their investors. Dividends essentially act as a litmus test of a company’s viability. But...

It’s been a rough few months for risk-averse investors. Since the first-quarter rally failed in early April, the market has developed no obvious overall trend, instead chopping up and down from month to month like a particularly unpredictable yo-yo. It’s the kind of action that makes you want to buy something...

With only two weeks left in 2012, we continue our look back at the past year in investing. Last week I announced the best-performing Dick Davis Digest Top Picks of the year. Today, I’m looking back at Investment of the Week, to highlight some of my favorite issues that you...

General Electric stock and General Motors stock. One of these dividend stalwarts is a good buy at current levels. But which one?

At its essence, growth-investing success comes down to playing the right trend, at the right time, and with the right stocks. The bigger and the more durable the trend, the better. And one of the most durable growth trends is giving to charitable causes! It’s not rampant growth—it grows a couple of percentage points faster than GDP—but it’s consistent.

This week feels a lot like March. In other words, it’s pretty awful for growth stocks both big and small. The positive momentum from April has seemingly evaporated. There’s no sugar coating it – we’re taking a hit this week. The chatter around higher rates and inflation is getting amplified out there and it’s just a crusher on high valuation/growth stocks.

Last summer, a little over nine months ago, I wrote a Cabot Wealth Advisory column about how confusing—and often subjective—the ratings issued by Wall Street analysts can be. In the column, I listed eight companies whose shares had been recently upgraded. Recently, I decided to go back and see how those stocks have performed since last July.

Marijuana Prohibition is lifting. And that means it’s time to buy marijuana stocks. This marijuana ETF is one way to play it. But I know a better way.

As has become painfully obvious in recent weeks, inflation investing is a big challenge. But history says the pain won’t last long.

A decade ago, following the subprime mortgage crisis, housing stocks became attractive bargains. And that’s where energy stocks are today.

The stock market successfully weathered a global pandemic and the accompanying recession. Could rising inflation be what ends the rally?

International stocks have lagged U.S. markets for the last decade. But with the valuation gap wider than ever, that appears to be changing.

How many stocks should you own? Not too little. Not too much. Here’s how to find the sweet spot for your investment portfolio.