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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

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%.

Read the rest of this entry »

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..

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

CNNMoney - SPECIAL REPORT AMERICA’S MONEY CRISIS, October 27, 2008: 11:04 AM ET

Wall Street retreats as global economic woes continue to drag on investors.

courtesy of Memecat.com

By Alexandra Twin, CNNMoney.com senior writer

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — U.S. stocks fell Monday morning, joining a global market retreat on worries about the depth of the economic slowdown.

The Dow Jones industrial average (INDU) fell 0.4% around 90 minutes into the session. A more than 7% rally in component Verizon following its profit report helped the Dow stave off bigger losses.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 (SPX) index was 0.7% lower and the Nasdaq composite (COMP) lost 1%.

Stocks had briefly cut losses and turned higher following the 10 a.m. ET release of a better-than-expected September new home sales report. But the advance was short-lived, with stocks turning lower again.

Read the rest of this entry »

Market Snapshot October 24, 2008, 8:43AM EST

Global equity markets plunged, and key U.S. futures traded limit down Friday amid signs that the financial crisis was worsening

courtesy of  AFP/Getty Images

U.S. stocks were indicated to open sharply lower Friday as S&P and Nasdaq 100 futures were down the limit in premarket trading as a banking crisis that began in the U.S. and Europe spreads to Asia.

Bonds were soaring in a flight to safety from the global stock market meltdown. European markets were down big, and Asian stock markets plunged across the board as the global banking crisis is likely to contribute to a lengthy worldwide recession. Investors were liquidating risky assets and moving into cash.

Read the rest of this entry »