Retail stocks edge higher Tuesday as teen retailer Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. is upgraded to outperform by FBR Capital Markets.

Steven Madden, Nike and other shoe retailers are walking tall, despite the recession.

Did investors learn anything in 2008? After the implosion of major financial institutions I was under the impression that investors were aware of the outcome of rapidly rising asset prices -- particularly when those assets aren’t worth anything at all. Apparently I was wrong. Since the beginning of the year Crocs (CROX) has skyrocketed 216%. That’s a ridiculous return for even the hottest tech companies let alone for a fading retail brand during a major recession. This isn’t the first time we’ve witnessed this kind of action at the shoe company. In 2007 the stock rose 240% to over $74 ...

What a week. The DJIA soared passed 9000; the S&P broke out of the 955 level. Some earnings reports were great: Apple (AAPL) Baidu (BIDU) Caterpillar (CAT); others were met with selling pressure: Microsoft (MSFT) Amazon (AMZN) and Deckers (DECK). For the day the S&P 500 meandered which is typical following a huge up day. The widely followed index traded in a tight range all day finally closing up 0.30%to 979.After the last 2 weeks many investors are now scratching their heads: do they buy the breakout or wait for the much anticipated pullback? On today’s Buzz and Banter ...

Investors must follow footwear fashion trends closely to spot the winners in this industry.