Retail has been a slippery slope of late. But check out the difference in prices of just a year ago.

With retail stocks up over 6% this year, now's the time to buy.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Long troubled by cost overruns and poor management, the Pentagon's procurement process has been under fire for years by federal watchdogs. Now President Barack Obama's intends to make its overhaul one of his "highest priorities."

The global economy received another blow today as major companies announced a new round of layoffs to the tune of 62 000. According to the New York Times 45 000 occurred in the US alone. The losses were spread out across all industries. Caterpillar (CAT) the construction and mining equipment manufacturer shed 20 000; telecomm company Sprint Nextel (S) cut 8000; renovation retailer Home Depot (HD) slashed 7000; Pfizer's (PFE) takeover of Wyeth (WYE) will result in 8000 pink slips; and General Motors (GM) will axe an additional 2000.Across the pond ING (ING) said it would cut 7000 European jobs and ...

Greetings from Upstate where I had a fantastic time last night though as always I left wishing I had more time to mix with the literally scores of loved ones packed in the event. What a fantastic group of people. I’m proud to be associated with Minyanville and was touched by so many of the thoughts shared with me last night. Here’s what I’m thinking as I slide back into character (based on what I was told last night that character is “angry” - though I like to think of it as “angry with an enigmatic back story hinting at ...