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• $700 Billion Plan Rejected as American Voters Voice Discontent - Editor, 30 September 2008 - No Comments yet

The decision by the U.S. House of Representatives to reject the proposed $700 billion bailout for the financial sector has had rapid and far reaching repercussions. Within Monday’s seven and a half hour trading day, a record $1.2 trillion disappeared from the U.S. stock market. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled by 777.68 points, or close to 7 percent, breaking all previous one-day decline records, while the S&P 500 dropped by 8.5 percent and NASDAQ by 9.1 percent.

• Are Investment Fees Eroding Your Investment? - Editor, 25 September 2008 - No Comments yet

Irrespective of who is handling your investment portfolio, it is important that you review the performance of your investments regularly. While your primary focus will be on your investment return, be sure to review the investment fees, or internal expenses, of each of your investments too. These can vary tremendously and over a period of time and could be costing you a lot of money that should rather be working for you.

• $700 Billion Plan - More Questions than Answers - Editor, 24 September 2008 - No Comments yet

Investors remain on high alert as Congress continues to weigh the pros and cons of the Bush administration’s proposed $700 billion financial institution bailout plan. It appears that the more the matter is debated, the more the cons start to outweigh the pros overall. The markets have responded to the uncertainty of the situation by dipping even further on Tuesday, with the Dow ending the day 161.5 points lower, the S&P 500 was down 18.87 points and NASDAQ fell 25.64 points, being a decline of 1.5%, 1.6% and 1.2% respectively.

• Washington Plans Further Aid for Financial Institutions - Editor, 19 September 2008 - No Comments yet

In an attempt to contain the ongoing financial crisis, the U.S. Government plans to assist embattled financial institutions by directly addressing mortgage-related issues. The announcement sent ripples of relief through the stock market, resulting in the Dow rising by 410 points on Thursday – the biggest one-day jump experienced in six years. Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange responded to the Dow increase with loud cheering – a sound which has not been heard for some time in a market that has been relentlessly assailed with bad news.

• Wall Street Woes Intensify - Editor, 16 September 2008 - No Comments yet

Following an eventful weekend in financial circles that saw two of Wall Street’s iconic firms, Lehman Brothers Holdings and Merrill Lynch, heading for disaster, traders quite justifiably faced Monday with trepidation. Add to this the fact that American International Group’s quest to raise much needed capital has essentially failed so far, and it is clear to see why investors are jumpy and the American public in general is feeling apprehensive.

• Psychemedics Corporation Confirms Switch from AMEX to NASDAQ - Editor, 11 September 2008 - No Comments yet

Psychemedics Corporation announced yesterday that the decision to move the company’s common stock listing from the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) to NASDAQ has been approved by its board of directors. The company will cease trading on AMEX at close of trade on 22 September 2008 and commence trading on NASDAQ on 23 September. Psychemedics’ current trading symbol of “PMD” will remain unchanged.

• Dividend-Paying Stocks May Balance Out Investor Portfolios in Volatile Market - Editor, 8 September 2008 - No Comments yet

At one time considered to be an integral aspect of an investor’s portfolio, stock dividends have taken a back seat in recent years as investors turned to shares that offered greater capital appreciation. The current volatile market, however, has highlighted the value of including dividend-paying stocks in a balanced portfolio. This is especially true in light of the fact that the benchmark for the U.S. market, Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, has in effect delivered flat returns since 2000.

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