Stock Market News

Now, September is notorious for being a weak period for stocks -- but so far the global markets are holding up well. And China stocks are leading the way, along with the Shanghai A-Share market. What's helping China continue to lead the way? Well, they're regularly reporting economic data that points to a strengthening economy, confounding critics. The latest good news is an unexpected expansion in new lending and a faster-than-expected increased in industrial production.

With most Asian stock markets gaining significant ground so far in 2009, it wasn't surprising that the region garnered much attention this week when Asian stocks sold off. Much of the decline can be attributed to falling commodities and lagging consumer confidence. But I don't think the recent drop is worth worrying over -- most Asian stock markets are still up significantly this year.

With the U.S. stock markets rallying strongly since March and erasing their 2009 losses, many investors are wondering if we've finally seen a bottom. I'm not surprised considering that the U.S. S&P 500 has rallied 34% since March. But I'm not very optimistic concerning the U.S. stock markets, and I think we may see the lows of 2009 retested this fall.

After weeks of volatility and losses, it was nice to see stock markets gain some ground this week. The move up was due to the positivity surrounding the recent G20 meeting and President Obama's presence overseas.

While all eyes have been on the U.S. in recent weeks paying attention to how the economic superpower responds to the global financial crisis, another economic power is gaining ground -- China. In fact, a recent report states that China is set to become t he second-largest economy by 2010.

The Fed's recent plan to pump money into the economy pushed stock markets up last week, marking the biggest rally in weeks. But investors cannot get caught up in these sudden gains, and lose sight of the bigger picture. Read on for my market outlook.

After a tumultuous 2008, much of the world is looking forward to the start of the New Year. But many are unprepared for what 2009 may have in store for them, and they will likely miss out on some of the most profitable opportunities that the year has to offer. That's why I've written a special report to help you navigate the murky waters and prepare for a New Year of profits.

Last week, China's central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan proposed a creation of a new currency to replace the U.S. dollar as the world's main reserve currency. Zhou said that it would create and control global liquidity. The idea of a global currency has come and gone in recent years in tandem with global economic woes, but will it actually happen this time? Read on to find out.

Last week, the Chinese expressed their concerns about the safety of U.S. Treasury securities. China holds many of these securities, and is worried that they may be negatively affected by the U.S.'s financial crisis. The U.S. responded with reassurance that the country that they are indeed safe. So what is in store for these securities and China's investment in them? Read on to find out.

The U.S. government recently implemented a huge stimulus package to help support the U.S. economy. But investors are still worried that this stimulus may not be enough to prevent the U.S. from slipping into recession, which was shown in today's stock market losses. So as investors in a global economy dominated by the U.S., I recommend that we steer clear of this economic turmoil, and instead focus our investments on China.

While it's hard to predict what's going to happen in the global stock markets throughout the rest of 2009, there are some investors and advisors who put weight in the "January Barometer" theory. Basically, this theory implies that market action in January is an indicator of how the market will perform throughout the rest of the year. While it's only a theory, it's still worth considering.

The history books were being written today as Barack Obama was welcomed the 44th President of the United States. But what kind of role will the new administration play in overcoming the global financial crisis and economic recession in the U.S.? Only time will tell... Still I have a few expecations for the new administration that I'd like to share with you today.

No kidding! The recent announcement that the U.S. has been in a recession all year shouldn't have come as a big surprise this week. In fact, I've been telling my Asia Edge and China Strategy subscribers just that for the better part of 2008. Still, the global markets didn't react positively to this news, and we saw another sell-off after last week's four-day rally.

The financial crisis has grown to affect markets and economies around the world. This past weekend, we watched as financial giants in Europe crumbled to the ground. Because of fears of a worsening crisis, shares sold off earlier this week. So what's next in trying to calm the financial markets? A possible interest rate cut, not only in the U.S., but all around the world.