The Stock Market

[splitterpfj]

I expect a lot of pressure on the markets for a while yet. There's a great deal of economic uncertainty still out there, on an international level, and jobs haven't started to come back yet.

 

A lot of companies reported strong earnings in the fourth quarter, but it didn't translate into new hires, because most analysts believe those strong results to be artificially generated through government spending, cash for clunkers, etc.

 

On paper, the recession is over, but this one cut so deep, it'll take a while to feel like it's truly behind us.

 

I have a friend who was in a major car accident just before Thanksgiving. He just now left the hospital for a rehab center - he has survived - and is making consistent progress, but he still faces a mountain of physical therapy, and doesn't know yet when he'll return home, or when he can return to work. The economy is in much the same situation...it's on the mend, but with a long road to recovery...expect a lot of ups and downs over the next year.

[nate82]

I have been reading that the majority of the economists out there believe we won't be back to a regular economy for another 3-5 years. The job loss rate is slowing for now but unemployment nationally is still way to high it needs to come down another 4 or 5 percent before you can say the economy has fully recovered and that should take another 2-3 years before a majority of those jobs return.

[PeaveyFury]

11,000 today!

[Teatoe993]

I'm so glad I started getting back to investing in September 08. One of my stocks is up 700%!!!

[PeaveyFury]

There were some crazy good opportunities out there. My port is up 158% since July 08!