We’re just over a quarter of the way into 2010, and already 60 new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have hit the marketplace. That’s about half the number that launched in all of 2009. Don’t expect this wave to die down anytime soon. There are… Read More

If you go back and trace the ups and down of the Israeli stock market, you’ll find almost no correlation with the broader conflicts taking place in the region. Shares on the Tel Aviv stock exchange slump when Hamas or Hezbollah pounds the war… Read More

Confidence. It’s the number one driver of business. Without it, business managers tend to hold off on new investments, keep inventories lean, and hold on to cash. That’s what happened in the United States in 2008, as sinking confidence led to a vicious circle whereby more and more companies shed workers and slashed orders, because their key customers had done so. Could a similar spiral play out in Europe? It’s too early to tell. Much will depend on how banks react in this current environment. If they cut off lending to small and medium-sized businesses, as happened… Read More

Confidence. It’s the number one driver of business. Without it, business managers tend to hold off on new investments, keep inventories lean, and hold on to cash. That’s what happened in the United States in 2008, as sinking confidence led to a vicious circle whereby more and more companies shed workers and slashed orders, because their key customers had done so. Could a similar spiral play out in Europe? It’s too early to tell. Much will depend on how banks react in this current environment. If they cut off lending to small and medium-sized businesses, as happened here roughly 18 months ago, then that could trigger yet another recession on the Continent. #-ad_banner-# That’s why it is so important to track the actions of leading European banks. We already know that major banks in Ireland and Spain have begun to retrench, which bodes ill for the economies of those countries. But what about the likes of Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB), UBS (NYSE: UBS) and Barclay’s (NYSE: BCS)? Those leading financial institutions’ actions will determine whether credit flows or shrinks. France’s Credit Agricole is a clear example. The bank recently announced that it… Read More

Throughout the recent economic slump, investors began to wonder if the world’s oldest billion-dollar corporation would even survive. Think about that. A hallmark of American industry on the brink. . . Sound familiar? So what was this ‘mystery’ company? General Electric (NYSE: GE)? Nope. General Motors? Not… Read More

The Greek debt crisis sent the world’s financial markets reeling, particularly across the so-called “PIIGS” nations in Europe — Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain, five European countries considered to be in the most questionable financial shape. The fear is that… Read More

Avionics is a combination of the words “aviation” and “electronics,” and that’s exactly what the word means. It entails all electronic systems used on any aircraft, whether commercial or military, fixed-wing or helicopter. Avionics encompasses communications, weather detection, collision avoidance, engine and fuel control displays – all the blinking lights… Read More

Back in 2003, my wife accidentally let a trivial $300 medical bill go unpaid. It wasn’t disputed, the hospital just never bothered to send her the bill. And for the next seven years, we thought nothing of it. Two months ago we bought a house, and that… Read More

Israel, believe it or not, is a blossoming emerging market. That’s because the country has an obsession with technology. You could argue that Israel is more focused on technology than any other emerging market in the world. On a per capita basis, the country has the highest… Read More

What do penguins in Antarctica and a company in Colorado have to do with the profits you can make on the New York Stock Exchange? More than you might think. Antarctica’s clusters of emperor penguins are spread across the 5.4 million square miles of… Read More

How low can you go? That’s the question many investors are asking about China Security & Surveillance Technology (NYSE: CSR). Shares keep on dropping, and the forward P/E ratio, which had been a paltry six, then drifted to… Read More