World stocks hit five-week highs on Tuesday on optimism a U.S. plan to purge toxic assets from banks’ balance sheets could ease the misery of the sector, but the rally also provided investors a chance to take profits.

Matt Weinschenk of Investment U recommends this oil transporting company as his favorite comeback stock. As oil and shipping prices go up and economic activity starts to increase, this company is likely to profit.

Russia’s continuing weakness could cost the country its membership in one of the most identifiable and esteemed investor acronyms – the BRIC nations.

The terrible pile-up on the world’s financial highway has left us all in shock. We check to see if our fingers move. We look in the rear-view mirror to see if there is blood on our face. And then we crawl out of the car. Thank God, we can still walk! No broken bones.

So many people are getting on the bankers’ case; we’re beginning to feel sorry for them. After all, what did they do wrong?

Timothy Geithner, President Barack Obama’s nominee for U.S. treasury secretary, told the Senate that he and the new administration are prepared to take a harder line in economic relations with China.

Today’s the day… the whole world turns its weary eyes to you. Never before have so many people counted so much on just one man.

Yes, he can!…or so he thinks…politics is a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it…We don’t often have the chance to stand up for Dubya, but give the guy a break…he doesn’t understand the economy enough to be held responsible for the financial collapse…Bankers lend money when they think they can make money at it…Friedman offers Obama some advice…and more!

Christmas may be over, but Obama is keeping the ’season of giving’ going on the Hill…the next bubble will be in public debt… Stock prices are more ‘normal’ than they were a year ago…how many chickens can get in a plane engine? What is bad for GM is bad for America…just when you think you have things figured out, the facts change…and more!

Give us Madoff! Give us Madoff!  “Oil rises to $39 on Bernanke comments…”  “Asian stocks rise after Bernanke remarks…” When they turned out the lights and closed the doors in New York last night, the Dow had lost 25 points and oil had gone down to $37.