CNBC.com
The road higher for stocks is likely to be a slower, more difficult climb that could get bumpy along the way. For that reason, a number of strategists have been recommending investors steer clear of lower quality stocks and focus instead on those with better balance sheets for this next leg of the trip. In the week ahead, markets will be tested by a fresh batch of economic news and will be dominated by the debate over whether the dollar's behavior signals the beginning of a turn for the greenback. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is in the spotlight Monday when he speaks at the Economic Club of Washington, and President Obama is expected to unveil a new plan to promote job creation Tuesday. Retail sales, international trade and weekly jobless claims are some of the important numbers to watch. The Treasury is auctioning $74 billion in 3-years, 10-years and 30-year bonds Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
http://mobile.cnbc.com/us_news/34282463
Rally may have legs, but beware of Scrooge
(Reuters) - If the bulls have their way, Wall Street's rally will keep going next week on signs of stability in the labor market. But concerns about penny-pinching consumers during the holiday shopping season and the specter of higher interest rates may be a hurdle to jump.The Standard & Poor's 500 is up 63.5 percent from a 12-year closing low on March 9, while expectations of a significant sell-off before year-end have waned. Any dip is likely to be met with buyers eager to get into the market.Investors are optimistic that the U.S. economy is on the path to recovery, albeit a slow one, after Friday's data showed employers cut far fewer jobs than expected in November.Even so, worries that consumers will remain frugal during the holiday shopping season are keeping a lid on investors' enthusiasm. And after Friday's data showing the labor market picture improved in November, there's speculation that the Federal Reserve may have to raise interest rates sooner than previously expected.
http://mobile.reuters.com/mobile/m/FullArticle/p.rdt/CBUS/nbusinessNews_uUSTRE5B401N20091205
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