Folks, the bottoming-out process is messy. It’s ugly. And it can be very painful. For Exhibit A, take a look at what we’re going through right now. But if you’re a long-term investor with strong nerves who can be cerebral in times where emotion has clearly taken over, these are the times that can end [...]

Folks, we got another lackluster report on the employment front today. Applications for jobless benefits came in at 418,000 for the week ending July 16, up 10,000 from the week before. I’m an old supply-sider, and I’ve said many times that jobs and job creation are the best barometer of economic health. It looks like, [...]

Folks, the chatter all weekend long was about the release of stress tests of European banks late last Friday. When we look at this news and the ongoing European debt crisis, it’s important to remember that the Eurozone itself is an experiment. There’s a part of the story that’s not being told. It’s easy to [...]

Folks, the European contagion issue seems to have settled down on news that the European Central Bank will hold an emergency summit on Friday. Is this contagion issue over? Absolutely not. But Friday’s meeting might help to quell the panic in the French institutions. The French are the largest holders of Italian bonds, which means [...]