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Do rising stock prices help the nation’s debt?

Oct 12, 2017
The stock market has surged for much of the last year, and the president — like all presidents — is trying to take credit. Fair enough. But last night, he suggested the stock market can help fix the country’s national debt problem. Which got a lot of people scratching a lot of heads. Is there even any […]

What it means when the dollar and the market diverge

Aug 25, 2017
The U.S. stock markets have been doing well, and President Trump is quick to link his time in office to market highs. But at the same time the dollar has been dropping, losing more than 8 percent of its value against six major currencies since January. That divergence can be significant for retailers, manufacturers, and […]

Should Blue Apron have been more transparent with investors?

Aug 10, 2017
After its first earnings report, Blue Apron's stock price went down by 15 percent.
A view of a Blue Apron box.
Illustration by Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Why are we increasingly becoming passive investors?

Aug 4, 2017
The search for that one great undervalued company is becoming less common.
Traders work on the floor after the ringing of the opening bell to celebrate the New York Stock Exchange's 225th anniversary on May 17.
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

Does Snap’s stock market performance mean we have valuations all wrong?

Aug 1, 2017
There’s something of a disconnect happening between what’s known as the private market — what companies are worth before they go public — and what those companies are worth once they have their initial public offering. Examples A and B today are the meal kit delivery service Blue Apron and Spap of Snapchat fame. The companies’ stocks haven’t […]

For short sellers, a record stock market is troublesome

Jul 21, 2017
Stocks have posted steady gains, which means traders betting against them aren’t happy.
A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Andrew Burton/Getty Images

A shouting human can sometimes be more effective than a computer

Jul 13, 2017
The Box Options Exchange wants to bring back the open-outcry floor.
 A trader in the crude oil options pit yells out during trading at the New York Mercantile Exchange.
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

The bond market has a message for President Trump

May 18, 2017
The yield on the 10-year treasury has been tumbling for the past week. Another way of saying that is: That is strong demand for these bonds, which causes their price to rise and the interest rates they pay to fall. And that is telling us something about investor thinking — about the Federal Reserve, the president and […]

Perhaps investors are just too exhausted to react

May 16, 2017
Despite turmoil in Washington and hints from Federal Reserve officials that stocks may be overvalued, markets have proved surprisingly resilient. The indices have been rising fairly steadily all year, and measures of volatility are low. Why is that? Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

'Fear index' at its lowest level since 1993

May 9, 2017
VIX, known as the 'fear index,' gauges market volatility.
Traders working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images