Last week's sweet little bull run was, unfortunately, all form and no substance. But given a few strategic assists -- are you listening, Washington? -- we could banish the bear.

The start of a recovery is the time to buy cyclicals; in the old days, that meant smokestack stocks -- traditional manufacturers, now long gone -- but what are the best cyclicals for today?

The coming oil boom; or, How to stop worrying and profit from sky-high—and headed higher?—prices.

My heroes are the corporate leaders who don't use September 11 to excuse poor performance; it would do your conscience -- not to mention your wallet -- good to support them.

Blue chips—once considered safe havens for widows and other risk-averse investors—are not just battered, they’re down for the count. Blame it on the demise of balance-sheet magic.

What if they gave a bull market and nobody came? That's the way it feels right now, as stocks keep advancing but wary investors still manage to resist their charms.

Every October, as predictable as the seasons, the market takes a precipitous turn for the worse. But if you know it's coming, why not profit from the rebound?

Cheap chic is out. Wealth, or the appearance of it, is in. That’s bad for Wal-Mart, good for Neiman Marcus.

Nobody wants to say the word out loud, but the warning signs have become unmistakable. After nearly a decade of high-flying prosperity, a recession seems to be looming before us. Why isn't the Fed trying to avert it? And what can you do to protect yourself?

Wall Street used to be ruled by a few despotic, slow-moving institutional giants. Now the market is driven by millions of miniature Jim Cramers. Are we happy about that?