By Martin Denholm

Despite the “sell in May and go away” investment adage, the stock market sauntered into the final day of May this morning holding steady after a furious spring rally. All three major indexes - the Dow Industrials, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 - are set to end the month at least around the same place they started it.

My five-year old daughter has a thick mane of chestnut colored hair on her head. By the time she goes to school, it always looks perfect - but few people know about the work involved beforehand. My wife or I usually have to spend 15 minutes untangling the knots in what invariably starts out as a post-sleep bird’s nest.

This is a good analogy for the economy and markets. Our capitalist society is a beautiful thing that rewards entrepreneurs and intelligent risk takers and investors. But for the past few years, we’ve got ourselves into quite a tangle with the housing bubble and credit contagion.

by Marc Lichtenfeld, Senior Analyst, Smart Profits Report

If you’re looking for a direct, non-wavering opinion, you’ve come to the right place…

By Marc Lichtenfeld

I’m used to explosive gains in the biotech world, but I’ve never seen a moonshot quite like this…

With the stock market still merrily rolling through its gut-wrenching days, I need my 8 hours of sleep more than ever these days. For that reason, it’s usually “lights out” in my house before 11:00 PM.

But not last night.

Talk about a winter of discontent…

Over the past seven weeks, we’ve seen quite possibly one of the best examples of stock market fear in history.

Tune into the financial media and you’re guaranteed to hear an “expert” call the stock market’s bottom at least once a day.

They just can’t help themselves - which I suppose isn’t surprising, since they don’t really have much to lose by doing so.

By Marc Lichtenfeld

If the global economy were a hospital patient, you’d definitely find it in the Intensive Care Unit. It’s not on life support just yet, but it certainly finds itself in an increasingly precarious position, due to the numerous negative factors swirling around the financial world.

By Marc Lichtenfeld

Usually, when I’m watching television open-mouthed and incredulous, it’s because I’ve “accidentally” flipped onto one of those trash-laden, so-called “reality” shows, or because I just witnessed a spectacular sports play.

By Marc Lichtenfeld

You don’t need a doctorate in economics from Stanford to realize that the economic climate is tough.

By Marc Lichtenfeld

It wasn't too long ago that a bad bank just meant one with long lines, rude tellers and high fees. But times are changing and the definition today is completely different.

By Marc Lichtenfeld

Stating that the retail sector has suffered a bombardment of bad news the last few months is like saying the Atlantic Ocean is wet.

By Paul Moore

Well, we’re about two-thirds of the way through 2008 - a year that could potentially be the worst one for stocks since 2002.

By Martin Denholm

A high-growth retail play? Check.

The firm saw its quarterly revenue growth bounce by 19.7% (year-over-year), while quarterly earnings growth jumped 22.5%. Its users sold $927 million in goods during the second quarter, which dumped $35.7 million into the company’s coffers in transaction fees. Not bad, given the sluggish state of the economy and inflation forcing consumers to cut back on purchases.

By Marc Lichtenfeld

Sounds Nice…

As I was running to catch my early morning flight on Saturday, I grabbed a copy of the New York Times and Barron’s. I looked at the Barron’s cover and figured that I must not have gotten enough sleep and was still in dreamland.

By Karim Rahemtulla

Some would say that the Financial sector currently resembles animal waste. It’s certainly emitted an overpowering stench across Wall Street in the past year. And like animals fighting for survival, it appears the players have begun to turn on each other.

By Marc Lichtenfeld

It can often be quite a lonely place and the investment crowd may call you all kinds of derogatory names - but when it comes to stock picking, nothing beats the feeling of striking out on your own, going against conventional wisdom and being proved correct.

By Karim Rahemtulla

Pop quiz: Over the past six months, one sector of the market has seen more insider buying than any other. Can you name it?

By Marc Lichtenfeld

Sometimes, you just need to put events into perspective.

Not everyone possesses this valuable ability, but my brother is very good at it. Whenever pressure from work gets to him and he finds himself (or other people) stressed, he likes to say, “You’re either curing cancer or you’re not.”

By Lee Lowell

Two weeks might not seem like a very long time in the grand scheme of things, but it can feel like a lifetime if you trade the commodity markets.