The financial press is beating its "depression" drums just a bit harder this afternoon in the wake of Congress' surprise rejection of its bailout legislation and the market's strong drop. However, we remain skeptical that this behemoth bill would indeed be the market's short term salvation.

The lesson to be learned from Wall Street’s hubris, says Eric Fry at Rude Awakening, is that although stocks can be ruined by over zealous management, commodities cannot. Stupidity is not a risk factor in the commodities sector. And this makes them attractive despite their recent selloff.

For years, investors have bemoaned the low dividend yield on stocks. But with the market down roughly 20%, the yield on the S&P 500 Index is up to 2.25%. That doesn’t sound terribly rich, I know, but it is only slightly less than the average money market is paying right now.

The author discusses the hot biotech stocks you don't want to miss based on the companies Gene Marcial introduced in his book "7 Commandments of Stock Investing". He talks about the company background and its rational behind its attraction.

Middle Eastern countries know their oil supplies aren’t going to last forever. So they’re pumping more than $2 trillion into new, long-term economic projects - such as brand new cities that will function as both business and vacation hot spots.

Citigroup to sell $12 billion worth of leveraged loans to buyout firms including Apollo Group, TPG and Blackstone Group. Only problem is, some of these loans came into Citi when they financed bum deals by firms like TPG. So Citi got cleaned out coming and going.

The financial sector led a furious stock-market rally Thursday, with banks and brokerages snapping back from a deep selloff a day earlier, while commodities prices continued a rapid retreat from record levels.

David Enrich, Wall Street Journal, reports that Citigroup Inc. has barred investors in one of its hedge funds from withdrawing their money. Citigroup suspended redemptions in CSO Partners after investors tried to yank more than 30% of the fund's roughly $500 million in assets.

Citigroup reported its earnings this morning and the stock is bouncing around like crazy. It was up about $0.50 right after the press release came out and then it tanked and went down as much as 3% to $28. It is now at $28.71.

Citigroup is expected to announce a sizable dividend cut, cash infusion of at least $10 billion and write-down of as much as $20 billion in mortgage-related investments as part of its fourth-quarter earnings report.

Merrill is expected to get $3 billion to $4 billion, much of it from a Middle Eastern government investment fund. Citi could get as much as $10 billion from Singapore's GIC...Countrywide on collision course with bankruptcy...