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• Second Quarter Results Gain Momentum - 18 July 2011

US stocks have travelled a rocky road over the past three months, as the disappointing job market continues to put a dampener on any positive market related news. Investors anticipate that the coming week will provide more insight into the state of the economy as reflected in corporate results, with up to half of the thirty Dow components and more than twenty percent of the S&P 500 member companies reporting second quarter results. Analysts note that stock market players should bear in mind that historically the second quarter of the year tends to be the weakest. They are, however pointing toward a 6.5 percent increase in second quarter earnings for the S&P 500 in comparison to last year. Corporate results being released this week represent all stock market sectors. In additional to earnings, investors will no doubt be following the Debt Ceiling saga and its effect on the US credit rating in the days ahead.

• Spotlight on Best Big Companies to Work For - 12 may 2011

With consumer dollars being a driving force behind the economy, the job market in the United States remains a hot topic on both Wall Street and Main Street. Every year researchers compile lists of the top companies in a number of categories, including most ethical, top earners and best companies to work for, based on a variety of criteria. Recently CNN published a list of the Best Big Companies to Work For, with all the named companies appearing on both the prestigious Fortune 500 list and the Fortune Magazine Best Companies to Work For list, consisting of 100 small, large, and mid-sized companies, and compiled for Fortune magazine by the Great Place to Work Institute. The selection process is based on a Trust Index survey which looks at issues such as the credibility of management, job satisfaction and team spirit from an employee’s perspective, as well as a Culture Audit completed by company management regarding pay and benefits, hiring practices, training, incentives and recognition programs, internal communication effectiveness and other pertinent information.

• Job Creation & Investment Hot Topics at CEO Summit - 16 December 2010

In an effort to help the United States to 'climb out of recession', President Barack Obama held a 'CEO Summit' on Wednesday. The meeting, which lasted a number of hours, was attended by the CEOs of twenty companies with significant clout which are reportedly holding cash reserves adding up to around $1 trillion. Topics on the agenda included issues such as education, trade and regulation, with the main focus on getting said cash reserves flowing into the economy primarily through job creation and investment.

• What Recession? Forbes Names Wealthiest Americans - 23 September 2010

With high-profile talk show hosts focusing on the plight of ordinary American citizens in the economic downturn, trying in their own way to help people cope, one may be led to conclude that hard times have hit everyone to a lesser or greater degree. However, with the release of Forbes magazine’s annual list of the 400 wealthiest Americans, it’s become clear that this is not the case. Despite the ailing economy, which is battling a rocky road to recovery, the Forbes list reveals that the rich got even richer in the past year. Meanwhile, as is highlighted by home foreclosures, unemployment benefit claims and drop in consumer spending, it appears that some of the middle-class has joined the ranks of the poor, and the poor got poorer.

• January Ends on Low Note Dragged Down by Techs - 1 February 2010

Ending a six-month winning streak, the Dow Jones industrial average closed nearly 4 percent down at the end of January, being its largest monthly point loss since February 2009. Despite data revealing that the economy had experienced encouraging growth in late 2009, jittery investors were concerned about the slow pace of recovery and indicated a loss of confidence in the technology sector with a sell-off of primarily Apple and Microsoft shares. Certainly January was a disappointment to many stock market players who were hopeful that 2010 would be somewhat rosier than the past 18 months or so.

• Russell Indexes: Tracking Investment Manager Performance - 19 November 2009

Launched in 1984 by Russell Investments as a tool to measure distinct market sectors and track the performance of US investment managers, the Russell Indexes are widely respected in investment circles. This is evidenced by the fact that in November 2009 a total of $4.3 trillion in investment assets were benchmarked to Russell Indexes, accounting for 63.3 percent of all assets benchmarked by institutional investors. Russell Indexes consist of the broad-market based Russell 3000 Index, along with a number of sub-components such as the Russell 2500 Index, Russell 2000 Index and Russell 1000 Index.

• Mobile Communications Market Thrives Despite Tough Times - 20 August 2009

With technology continuing to move ahead rapidly, there is no denying that techs present a highly competitive, and lucrative, market sector. Currently in the news is the battle of the search engine titans as Microsoft and Yahoo attempt to secure at least an increased portion of a market indisputably dominated by Google. Another ongoing battle that is no doubt of interest to stock market traders is that between Research In Motion (RIM), the manufacturers of BlackBerry, and Apple with its iPhone, in what has become known as the "Smartphone Wars".