Analysts don’t see Yahoo’s improved earnings as enough to stave off a Microsoft bid. Crude’s gain crushes airline stocks; the Dow closes off nearly 105 points. McDonald’s and DuPont shares fall despite higher profits. Existing-home sales fall.

Amateurs investing in easy-to-access ETFs may be helping turn that boom into a bubble. But rising demand is real, so a little speculating might be worth it.

Stock ratings and commentary from the CAPS community incorporate the market knowledge, information and skills of 95,000 participants. Here’s a sample of recent noteworthy offerings.

But weakness in financial stocks, such as Bank of America, pulls the Dow and S&P 500 lower. Crude oil tops  $117 as the pump price of gasoline hits $3.50. Coal stocks jump. Texas Instruments earnings disappoint.

Just when crude is becoming more costly to extract and process, producers in three key countries are short of cash. And without that money, recent finds won’t do much good.

Don’t make too much of last month’s rally. Market fundamentals tell me the big picture is still far from clear.

For the second consecutive year, the discount retailer edges out ExxonMobil on the magazine’s list of America’s biggest companies by revenue.

It’s always hard to call the low but very profitable if you call it right. Here’s how to make your best guess.

Health-sector and diversified funds have been damaged by managed care, one of the worst-performing industries this year. Here are some of the casualties.