Markets Articles

These two options have many similar characteristics, but it's the differences that are important.

Find the middle ground between conservative and high-risk option strategies.

Learn which tools you need to manage the risk that comes with changing rates.

Investing overseas begins with determining the risk of the country's investment climate.

Branded drugs are expensive in large part because it's expensive and risky to develop them

There are many ways to profit in both bear and bull markets. The key to success is using the tools for each market to their full advantage.

The balance of trade is a key indicator of a nation’s health. Investors and market professionals appear more concerned with trade deficits than trade surpluses, since chronic deficits may be a precursor to a currency devaluation.

Knowing how the primary and secondary markets work is key to understanding how stocks trade.

Investment opportunity is huge in China. However, investors should consider the pitfalls, understand the risks and rewards, focus on shareholder-friendly companies and stick to investments they understand.

It's very important for every investor to learn how to calculate the bid-ask spread and factor this figure when making investment decisions.

This market-neutral strategy isn't for everyone. Read on to find out if it is for you.

Despite the recessions, citizens continue to take financial risks and spend outside of their means without fully appreciating the potential consequences for both themselves and the wider economy.

Immunotherapy could radically change the treatment of cancer, and the revenue opportunities for pharmaceutical companies.

Investors should look beyond the confines of the U.S. borders to diversify and maximize returns. ADRs are one way to diversify your portfolio and help you achieve better returns when the U.S. market is in a slump.

Many private companies prefer to stay private and find alternate sources of capital. Find out what firms have to gain by eschewing the windfall from a flashy IPO.

Companies use M&As and spinoffs to boost profits - learn how you can do the same.

The inability to forecast future events can turn the markets upside down. Find out how to stay right-side up.

Accurately predicting the stock market’s opening moves can be a useful tool. If your projection is accurate, you have opportunity to profit. Of course, the first step is to correctly gauge the market direction. You also need to select an investment and successfully gauge the resulting impact the market’s move will have on your investment in order to make money.

Commodities markets, both historically and in modern times, have had tremendous economic impact on nations and people. Investing in commodities can quickly degenerate into gambling or speculation when a trader makes uninformed decisions. However, by using commodity futures or hedging, investors and business planners can secure insurance against volatile prices.

Few people have much sympathy for the woes of those earning six figure or more each year. But, given that high-income earners drive economic expansion, the risks and problems facing high earners must be addressed if the U.S. is to sustain a long-term recovery.

Find out how Yasuo Hamanaka's actions in the copper market forever changed the rules for commodity traders.

If the current level of economic growth is to be maintained and improved upon, citizens must play their part by practicing responsible spending and borrowing.

The trouble with gold is that even as stocks are going up and the gold price is hurting, investors and central banks are loading up on gold and silver like never before. There’s a disconnect here and one of these sides is right and one is wrong.

Gone are the days when consumers lined up en masse to purchase $600 phones. Today, the consumer is looking towards more budget-minded solutions.

Because of the non-public nature of private equity, it can be difficult to the learn the lingo. We break it down here.

Issues facing unemployed graduates stretch far beyond an ailing economy. Use your work experience during school to ensure a better career.

Ready to quit your day job and become a full-time trader? These tips will help you determine your area of expertise.

Retail banking refers to the division of a bank that deals directly with retail customers. Also known as consumer banking or personal banking, retail banking is the visible face of banking to the general public. Corporate banking, also known as business banking, refers to the aspect of banking that deals with corporate customers.

The benefits of these securities abound, but high leverage also magnifies potential losses.

The best opportunities to maximize sheer earning power are in investment banking, private equity and hedge funds. Find out what it takes to succeed in these ultra-lucrative areas of finance.

Find out what can cause a currency to collapse, and what central banks can do to help.

Rising tuition fees and an ailing job market continue to perpetuate a cycle of spiralling student debt and lost opportunities. Has post-secondary education become a bad investment?

In this article, we'll show you how private equity sets the trend for stocks everywhere.

The majority of larger companies that trade publicly choose to list their stocks on one of the major exchanges - the NYSE or Nasdaq. However, many companies are unable to meet the financial or other listing requirements for the exchanges, or choose not to subject themselves to the regulatory requirements that come with an exchange listing, and therefore trade instead in the over-the-counter (OTC) market.

Want to know whether the stock market will open up or down? Check out the index futures.

Currencies can provide diversification for a portfolio that's in a rut. Find out which ones you need to know.

Investors include foreign bonds in their portfolios to take advantage of higher interest rates or yields, and to diversify their holdings. However, the higher return expected from investing in foreign bonds is accompanied by increased risk arising from adverse currency fluctuations, which can have a significant impact on bond returns.

Investors that understand and utilize the U.S. GDP report have a significant advantage over those that don't.

We interact with commercial banks daily to carry out simple financial tasks. That said, the function and creation of a commercial bank is anything but simple.

The consumer confidence is key to any market economy, so investors need to learn the measures and how to analyze them.

The Dow’s 354-point plunge Thursday was the worst drop since the presidential election. FOX Business Network stocks editor Elizabeth MacDonald weighs in below on what's behind the decline and what to expect when the market opens.

Unless you follow the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, it’s likely that you’ve never heard of pay to delay. Instead of planning to lose nearly all revenue once the drug goes off patent, the company owning the patent will pay generic manufacturers--often in the tens of millions of dollars, to delay the release of the generic form of the drug.

Even Jay Gatsby's stubborn optimism in The Great Gatsby would be hard pressed to believe that rags-to-riches stories are possible in today's economy. Find out why the ever-increasing wealth gap is eroding the original American Dream and how we need to redefine our expectations for prosperity.

A banker's acceptance, a common way of financing international trade activity, provides a relatively safe, short-term vehicle for investors. An acceptance is a negotiable time draft that a bank guarantees to pay at a predetermined date.

Will a rising or falling dollar hurt you or your company? In this article we explore the impact of currency converisons on consumers, comanies, and countries.

Monsanto is perhaps the most-hated company, but competitors like DuPont behave in very similar ways

Thursday's Supreme Court ruling is a blow to Myriad but investors haven't yet digested the ruling.

Learn how a country's current account balance reflects the country's economic health.

Find out why financial education will help America to re-establish itself as the world's (undisputed) leading economy.

Understanding these investing tools will put the market in your hands.

Find out how this index tracks market movements and where it falls short.

While June’s excitement may prove to be a bit more muted than May, there are many events unfolding that forex traders should watch closely. We'll take a look at where the four major currency pairs might be headed and some key reports that forex traders should watch for during the month.

Want to make a good living taking on those renegade trading rascals on Wall Street? Here are some tips to help you get in the door at the SEC.

GDP is the typical indicator used to measure a country's economic health. Find out what it fails to reveal and how the Genuine Progress Indicator can help.

This index is a widely-used and respected barometer of the U.S. housing market and the broader economy.

This influential strategy capitalizes on the relationship between price and liquidity.

Explore the controversies surrounding companies commenting on their forward-looking expectations.

The Japanese Yen possesses some unique qualities that traders should know before jumping in.

Two commonly used components of the financial market are money markets and capital markets. Find out the similarities and differences between them.

In the dramatic world of M&As, battleground terms meld with bizarre metaphors to form the language of the game.

The recent rout in gold prices has affected the rest of the precious metals space as well. However, unlike gold, platinum is benefiting from long term industrial demand as well as constrained supplies. For investors, the white metal could be their best bet in the precious metals sector.

As Japan embarks on quantitative easing, the yen has come under pressure. Will it continue to be the source of big profits in the latter half of 2013?

Find out why economists are torn about how to calculate inflation.

Find out how the PPI can be used to gauge the overall health of the economy.

After falling more than 13%, gold has staged a rebound but is that for fundamental reasons or the work of value investors? Will gold reward investors who didn't give up or is there more pain ahead?

Understanding equity cost basis is critical for tracking the gains or losses of an investment.

The Fortune 500 is a list most have heard of but don't know much about. Here, we present the basics with a few interesting facts.

Seasonal timing in the market, best personified by the adage, “Sell in May – Go away,” has long been the subject of debate among investors. The question remains: Is there anything to it?

What people buy and where they shop can provide valuable information about the economy.

Find out how to stay on top of data reports that could cause volatility in oil and gas markets.

Learn some of the important differences in the way these exchanges operate and the securities that trade on them.

Find out how your business can get the money it needs - even when the bank says "no".

A great deal can happen in between the New York close of the market and the open the following morning. Learn how you can access opportunities and hedge against risk outside regular trading hours.

Get a piece of Warren Buffett's profit by using Form 13F to coattail his picks.

Leading indicators help investors to predict and react to where the market is headed.

This weekly economic release contains important information concerning unemployment levels and insurance.

Although based on short-term trading, keeping the long-term picture in mind will help investors trade with the trend.

Cash is generally regarded as a drag on investment returns, but sometimes it may be preferable to hold a substantial cash amount instead of investing it in other assets. This is because having cash on hand gives an investor the flexibility to acquire an asset or assets at bargain prices when the opportunity arises, such as during periods of uncertainty when cash is king.

There are lessons to be learned on how to handle severe financial downturns, and while the Fed is learning, politicians may not be.

When a government tightens its belt in tough economic times the entire nation feels the squeeze.

The purpose of this article is to provide a general overview of hostile corporate takeovers, while highlighting a general course of action against such activity. This article provides basic information about the Williams Act, the use of company stock with differential voting rights, ESOPs as a defense mechanism, poison pill strategies, white knight investor alternatives, and greenmail as an alternative to blackmail.

Despite its historic and symbolic appeal, this metal is simply a commodity. Here we explore its meaning as an investment.

To become a registered investment advisor requires specific licensing, qualifications and regulations, but the greater freedom may be worth it.

Clients love planners who sell securities, but a securities license takes a lot of work. Learn if the stress and study are worth it.

Companies are in need of strategic candidates, not walking resumes. Find out how to set yourself apart from the pack and land the business career you've always wanted.

While investors shouldn’t feel compelled to change their portfolios radically overnight in reaction to the market's daily moves, small adjustments in the face of a bull or bear market could be a prudent move.

Discover how to trade the NFP report without getting knocked out by the irrational volatility it can create.

According to the World Trade Organization, world merchandise trade value grew by 20% in 2011, to $16.7 trillion.

Looking forward into April, traders should watch for potential profit taking in the U.S. after its run-up and a potential bottom for the euro, after the aftermath of the Cyprus decision to tax all depositors has worn off. U.S.

Discover whether ETFs or physical bullion is the best way for investors to get exposure to silver.

Tensions over just how to handle debt are pitting the rich world against the developing world like never before.

Learn how investments in foreign currencies can diversify your portfolio.

Discover the components and basic patterns of this ancient technical analysis technique.

Find out the other options Cyprus could use to resolve it's financial troubles, since its proposal to tax bank deposits didn't work out.

The National Small Business Association may not be optimistic about 2013, but we'll show you a few trends that suggest the economy can grow this year.

America's lengthy title reign as "World's Largest Economy" is fast under threat by China's surging economic growth. Find out what the global rankings are forecasted to be for these economic powerhouses.

Discover what's behind the Cyprus debacle and what investors should do about the situation.