Existing Home Sales Up 2.9%; Malaysia’s Economy Shrinks 6.2%; Staples Beats Estimates; U.K. Millionaires Halved by Financial Crisis; Treasury Yield Spread Hits Record High; Intel Won’t Cut Dividend After Euro Fine; Moody’s: U.S. Aaa Credit Rating Stable; Oil Surges to Six-Month High

One of the problems with orthodox economics is it misses the point on human behavior. Orthodox economists build their models around the assumption of rational behavior of large groups of people. There is therefore always a gulf between this type of economic theory and the real world.

Investors who trade actively and are closely in touch with the ebb and flow of opinion on Wall Street have one enormous barrier to good investment performance: They will often be seduced by what’s fashionable – whether it be in terms of sectors, countries or individual stocks.

Gold steadied on Monday after falling 3 percent last week, supported by scepticism about an economic recovery, but the dollar remained a downside risk.

The recent stock market rally may not be a bear-market trap or a “dead cat bounce,” but may in fact be the first signs of dust from an oncoming and unexpected bull stampede.

Conventional wisdom has it this morning that stocks are at the start of a rebound.  And for all I know, that’s true; technician types say the market is way oversold.

Stock prices are falling even faster than Alan Greenspan’s reputation or Warren’s Buffet’s mystique. Come to think of it, they are all falling at about the same pace. Hmmm…it’s as if they’re all one and the same.

It’s a recession but Byron King tells us that it is not too late for gold investing.  He has been encouraging gold bugs for over ten years now. Here he explains why owning gold and silver is the safest way to weather out this economic storm.

After passing much of 2008 standing thankfully on the sidelines, we believe that with current valuations, opportunities have returned for putting capital back into long-term positions in emerging markets.

Oil falls after two sessions of gains… Israeli offensive goes into fourth day…  OPEC output set to fall further in December