CNNMoney - Special Report Mortgage Meltdown, Last Updated: November 20, 2008: 6:01 PM ET

By halting evictions, the mortgage giants get time to implement a recent rescue plan.

foreclosures rescue plan. courtesy of foreclosure-support.com

By Les Christie, CNNMoney.com staff writer

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have directed their network of servicers to halt all foreclosure and eviction proceedings between Nov. 26 2008 and Jan. 9, 2009, meant to give a recently announced rescue plan time to work.

The Streamlined Modification Program, set to launch Dec. 15, enables delinquent borrowers to get a modified mortgage that lowers payments to no more than 38% of their gross incomes.

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Associated Press – Fri Nov 7, 2008

Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange surround the post that handles Wells Fargo, after the closing bell Friday, Nov. 7, 2008. Buyers returned to Wall Street Friday after two days of heavy losses, mindful of the economy's growing problems but attracted by stocks' lower prices. courtesy of AP Photo/Richard Drew

By SARA LEPRO and TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer

The major indexes jumped more than 2 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which rose nearly 250 points in light trading. For the week, the Dow and broader benchmarks like the Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost about 4 percent after surging 10 percent or more last week.

Friday’s trading was a mini-version of the market’s performance over the past two weeks, with investors upbeat, then realizing there was little basis in reality for their resurgent confidence, then changing their minds again.

The market briefly came off its highest levels of the session after President-elect Obama reiterated at a news conference that there is a great deal of hard work to be done to restore the economy to health. Investors had optimistically sent prices higher, only to temporarily pull back when Obama underscored what they already know: that the economy’s problems won’t be easily solved.

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FORTUNE MAGAZINE Fortune Investor Daily, Last Updated: November 3, 2008: 11:35 AM ET

Investor Daily: After being overpriced for more than a decade, equities now trade at sensible-but not bargain-prices.

Time to buy stocks | courtesy of thedigeratilife.com

By Shawn Tully, editor at large

NEW YORK (Fortune) — You didn’t hear this uttered very often, but over the past decade and a half, through bull and bear market alike, the value proposition for stocks could be stated succinctly: There’s nothing to buy.

The fact is that equities were over-valued for years, making them vulnerable to the kind of brutal, sudden sell-off we’ve just witnessed. But now that the S&P has declined 40% in 12 months, the question is whether equities are at long last a bargain. The answer is a qualified yes: Stocks aren’t exactly cheap, but for the first time in years you can expect decent returns, provided you’re patient.

“If you buy now and wake up in 10 years, you’ll probably get a return around the historic average,” said Yale economist Robert Shiller. In the near term, however, Shiller - who correctly predicted the implosion of the stock-market and real-estate bubbles - is more cautious. “There is a substantial risk that with all this economic turmoil, stocks will fall far lower,” he warned.

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CNNMoney - SPECIAL REPORT AMERICA’S MONEY CRISI, Last Updated: November 4, 2008: 8:13 PM ET

Stocks sizzle as millions of Americans head to the polls. Lending rates ease. Oil prices spike.

By Alexandra Twin, CNNMoney.com senior writer

Election Day | courtesy of polkelections.com

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Stocks surged Tuesday, with the Dow gaining over 300 points, as millions of Americans battered by the weakened economy turned out to vote for the next President of the United States.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) gained around 305 points, or 3.3%. The Standard & Poor’s 500 (SPX) index added 4% and the Nasdaq composite (COMP) rose 3.1%.

“The election has been a source of worry for the market, so you’re getting some relief that it’s finally here,” said Michael Church, senior portfolio manager at Church Capital.

Church said Tuesday’s session was also continuing the recent trend of calmer trading, after months of gut-churning volatility.

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CNNMoney - SPECIAL REPORT AMERICA’S MONEY CRISIS, Last Updated: October 31, 2008: 5:52 PM ET

Investors muster gains at the end of one of the worst months in Wall Street history. Good news: Stocks rally this week.

courtesy of Cine Text/Allstar

By Alexandra Twin, CNNMoney.com senior writer

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Stocks rallied Friday, capping off a strong week at the end of one of the worst months in Wall Street history.

The Dow Jones Industrial average (INDU) gained 144 points or 1.6%. The Dow also gained Thursday, making this the first time in October the blue-chip indicator has gained two sessions in a row.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 (SPX) index gained 1.5% and the Nasdaq composite (COMP) added 1.3%.

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Market Snapshot  October 31, 2008, 4:38PM EST

Major U.S. indexes finished in the green Friday, led by gains in beaten-down financial issues. But the Dow tumbled 14% in October, with the S&P 500 down 17%

curtesy of ehow.com

U.S. stocks, finished an ugly month on a positive note Friday. Major indexes closed higher, led by a rebound in financial and other issues that got battered in October, one of the market’s worst months in many years. Friday’s rally came as money managers made end-of-month adjustments to client portfolios and bargain hunters bought issues at prices reduced by recent sell-offs, according to S&P MarketScope..

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Businessweek - Investing October 26, 2008, 8:40PM EST

A bounce off recent lows? Another plunge through key support levels? A long slog near current prices? Experts tell BW strategies for each

courtesy of videogame2play.com

By David Bogoslaw

For most people, this feels like a very uncertain and dangerous time to be invested in the stock market. Even as the U.S. government becomes more clear about the capital infusions earmarked for a growing number of banks, and credit spreads show encouraging signs of narrowing, equity market volatility continues to head skyward. There appears to be little buying to counter overwhelming selling pressure by hedge and other funds desperate for cash to cover impending redemptions.

Making things even more treacherous for stock investors are a heap of unknowns—from how effective the worldwide financial rescue efforts will prove to be, to the duration and depth of the recession that is taking hold of the global economy.

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