TD Ameritrade

November turned into an employment bonanza, helped in part by the return of workers from a strike at General Motors Company (NYSE: GM). The economy busted out with 266,000 new jobs, the highest total for any month since January. If you add the Labor Department’s upward revisions of...

This morning it's all about Non-Farm Payrolls, U.S./China trade negotiations, and OPEC’s decision to increase production cuts. Let’s begin with the data scheduled for release this morning at 8:30AM ET, when the Commerce Department will release its monthly breakdown on the U.S. labor...

Things are looking up. That little hitch in the markets last Friday and early this week appears to be behind us, setting the stage for more solid gains ahead of the opening bell today. The positive tone followed overnight advances in Europe and Asia, mostly on ideas that trade talks might be headed...

You’ve heard of turnaround Tuesday. Well, it just appeared to arrive one day late this week. Stocks look like they could be walking the rebound path early Wednesday after a three-day losing streak highlighted by Tuesday morning’s stomach-churning plunge of more than 400 points for the...

One thing you learn early on as a markets reporter is to always be cautious about assigning causality to price moves in markets. And when you do, hedge. Even in the most ostensibly straightforward cause-and-effect events, there is always another explanation possible. Yesterday, stocks were jolted...

As the markets have been pricing in a partial trade deal possibly coming soon, they’ve helped send stocks to record highs. But that thesis is looking shakier this morning after President Trump suggested delaying signing such an economic pact until next year. In saying that he likes the idea...

A year ago, the stock market began a sharp slide that sparked recession fears and cast a gloomy outlook on 2019. However, the S&P 500 began its upswing right before the New Year, and has not only made new highs, but broke 3,000 and continues to climb. However, few things have changed: the Trade...

Happy Cyber Monday and welcome to the final month of 2019. Major stock indices are on pace to post their biggest yearly gains since 2013 after November’s impressive performance, but there’s still plenty to plough through before the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1. It does seem highly...

Investors and traders return to the market in a shortened equities trading session today that doesn’t feature any major economic data reports. So the last trading session of the month could shape up to be a quiet one. This morning, it’s looking like stocks could open lower amid concerns...

The St. Louis Fed released a paper this month with very ominous overtones. It spoke of both economic and financial "ruin," but didn’t mention interest rates or tariff risk once. The existential risk that has the Fed worried is debt. In “Making Sense of the National Debt,...

Financial markets right now are torn between two very different trends, and there may not be much time left for investors to decide which path to take. Take the blue pill, and the cyclical rotation story ends – you wake up in the comfort of your bed and believe whatever you want to believe,...

Pass the stuffing and the retail earnings. It’s two days until Thanksgiving, but there’s no break from the steady hum of retailers reporting. The “brick-and-mortar” stores still have something to say. Today’s menu includes Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE: BBY), ...

Image by rawpixel from Pixabay Information from TDA is not intended to be investment advice or construed as a recommendation or endorsement of any particular investment or investment strategy, and is for illustrative purposes only. Be sure to understand all risks involved with each...

The Russell 2000 futures contract has been the laggard for much of the past year, underperforming the other three major equity indexes. This relative lack of participation among the small-caps, when coupled with macro factors such as the Trade War and slowing global economic data, raised some...

Thanksgiving feasts might be on your mind as the week starts, but Black Friday and Cyber Monday have dollar signs spinning in the eyes of retailers who hope you’ll work off calories in the store aisles and online.  Shopping season—a few days shorter than usual this year because of...