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U.S. Consumer Confidence Index Declines to 62.5, Lowest Since October 1993U.S. consumer confidence fell this month to the lowest in almost a decade as the buildup to war in Iraq and higher energy costs threatened to slow the economy. More... · Dollar Has Biggest Two-Day Drop Against Euro Since July Amid War in Iraq · Cable & Wireless Pays $598 Million to Settle U.K. Tax Dispute; Shares Rise · U.S. Forces Move in Sandstorms on Iraqi Army; General Reports Casualties · Airborne, ArvinMeritor, SBA Communications: U.S. Equity Preview

The market’s big gains will surely generate a lot of talk that the bull market’s back. While I don’t know how long this rally will last, I do know it will end -- and end with a thud. The war rally that we have been expecting has just begun. What is not knowable at this early juncture is how far it can carry. The trick will be in determining that, because when the rally peters out, the next slide is liable to be quite brutal. In this week's edition of the Contrarian Chronicles, we'll take a look at all the...

XXXX >>>> Streaming Video <<<< XXXX PAUL KANGAS: My guest "Market Monitor" this week is Michael O'Higgins, president of O'Higgins Asset management based in Miami Beach, Florida. And welcome to NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, Michael. MICHAEL O'HIGGINS, PRES., O'HIGGINS ASSET MANAGEMENT: Thank you. KANGAS: For over three years now you have been one of the most unwavering bears on Wall Street. But in light of stock market's sharp recent decline along with its better action, especially this week, are you seeing a little light at the end of tunnel, are you turning more positive? O'HIGGINS: No. I'm sorry to say I'm...

From the Drudge Report, 3.21.03: DOW HAS BEST WEEK SINCE 1982... DOLLAR HITS MULTI-MONTH HIGHS... OIL PRICES PLUNGE...GOLD DROPS BELOW $330... Who builds the Bradley Fighting Vehicle? Or, how about Cruise missiles? Who builds the Stealth Bomber? Our aircraft carriers? Our tanks? Our rifles? Our military boots? You are a clever devil. As a reader of Oregon Magazine, and a fan of David Horowitz, Rush Limbaugh, George Will, Walter Williams or Tony Snow, you already have this one sniffed out don't you? For the newcomers, a little background, though. Nobody asked FDR what WWII would cost. Nobody asked JFK or...

Don't count on breaking even despite market gains Friday March 21, 12:40 pm ET NEW YORK, March 21 (Reuters) - The benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GSPC - News; ^GSPS - News) is poised to post its first eight-day rally since 1997, but few investors actually have reason to cheer after enduring a three-year bear market. Fueled by optimism that the U.S.-led war against Iraq will conclude swiftly -- leading to lower crude prices and giving a general boost to the economy -- stocks have jumped. The index has jumped 10.4 percent since the close on March 11, 2003,...

Stocks Surge for the Eighth Straight Day NEW YORK - Wall Street kept in step with the escalating war on Iraq (news - web sites), pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 closer to its best winning streak in nearly six years as the United States launched its massive aerial attack against Iraq. Trading was brisk as televisions flashed images of enormous explosions around Baghdad, part of the bombardment known as "shock and awe" to reflect the goal of forcing Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s regime to capitulate. Analysts said the developments fed investor confidence about a short and swift...

The war economy and war markets theme continues. Monday's rally around the Iraq related news events confirms it. 9/11 is the inflection point for this current war period just like Pearl Harbor was for WW2. The 1941-1945 timeframe is our historical metaphor. 1. Setting Then. It took the attack on Pearl Harbor to galvanize America. Isolationism yielded immediately to action. Roosevelt had the catalyst he needed to gain political momentum and engage in world war. His "Day of Infamy" speech stirred the nation to national purpose. Totalitarian leadership in the form of Hitler, Mussolini and Imperial Japan combined to define...