Two distinct groups of investors have emerged since the U.S. stock market rally began in early March. Initially overly cautious and smug in their desire to protect themselves, the first group of investors were convinced the rally was going to sputter and stall. It hasn’t, and 57% later these investors now believe they’re getting left behind, so they’re piling into the key indices in effort to make up lost ground.

Pundits greeted Angela Merkel’s convincing election win in Germany Sunday with a collective yawn. Commentators think the German economy is sluggish and over-dependent on exports, and believe that a change in the German government from a grand coalition to a center-right coalition will make little policy difference.

Stocks moved lower for the third consecutive day on Friday, something that hasn’t happened in more than three weeks, as the bulls just couldn’t capitalize on a short-term overbought condition. Measures of selling pressure eased as the bears rested their knuckles after a two-day pummeling.

The U.S. stock market has run up magnificently in the last six months. The U.S. economy has begun to recover, but its performance has fallen short of expectations.

The S&P 500 is already starting to stage the next leg of its downward slide. But don’t let that scare you…

Some investment strategies are more hype than strategy. Too many of today’s exchange-traded funds fall into that category. But is ProShares 130/30 ETF (NYSE:CSM) one of them?

It’s the perfect time to make money from some of the world’s fastest-growing markets as long as you invest in them the right way.

Keep an eye on the Chinese and Brazilian stock markets on Monday.

Last August, in an exclusive article to Oxford Club members, I badmouthed decoupling – the theory that the rest of the world (particularly emerging economies) could somehow party on while the U.S economy endured a recession.

For quite some time I was interested in recommending that my readers invest in Russia. I still had concerns about some political issues and organized crime in the country.  Most experts out there tell people to stay away from Russia, so I knew I had to do further research myself.