Guest blogger
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By Dan Wiener

Mutual funds information is released every day, and on October 6, Vanguard launched yet another offensive in the continuing battle over operating expenses and fund minimums, significantly reducing the entry price for a majority of its funds' lower-cost Admiral share class.

By Jamie Dlugosch

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have been successful for us as of late, but it appears that a pause may be around the corner.

One of the biggest mistakes investors can make is to project their own personal situation to the market or stocks in general. If times are tough the assumption is that times are tough everywhere and stocks will likely falter. All sorts of emotions including envy and jealousy can come out of the woodwork when things aren't going well personally.

By Sam Collins

Last week's 1,000-point intraday sell-off and 6% fall in three sessions was followed Monday morning by a 300-plus point rally in the Dow on news of a European bailout plan. The past few days have shown us just how sensitive this market is to the news, especially concerning the ongoing European financial saga.

It's time to be very cautious, to prune laggards from your portfolios, raise cash and hold only quality stocks that will benefit most from the economic recovery. To help you with that, I've dissected the technical analysis on some hot stocks set for big moves right now -- and at the top of that list is EMC Corp. (EMC). Here's the chart that will prove to you why:

People who have the entrepreneurial spirit are familiar with the unique adrenaline rush that comes from the live-or-die risk of starting a business. For many, small business is a way of life that represents long hours and near-obsessive passion. With all the pressure and time constraints riding on a small business, what are the five best software applications that can greatly help these start-ups or modest operations? There are definitely some critical software choices that make a small business more efficient and more effective. And better yet, three of them are free.

The Department of Commerce is one of many cabinet-level departments under the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the government. The history of the Department of Commerce reflects many of the social changes and technological innovations that occurred throughout the decades of its existence.

According to the Department of Commerce website, its mission is "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce" of the United States.

So exactly what is the FOMC? The acronym stands for the Federal Open Market Committee, created in 1913 as part of the Federal Reserve Act, which formed the Federal Reserve System. But what is the committee itself, along with its purpose, and what does it do?

Defining the FOMC

The FOMC is the executive personnel arm of the Federal Reserve System, which in turn is the American government's body of finance. All the operating money of the United States is ultimately affected by the policies and procedures of the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed. Since the U.S. utilizes a capitalist economy, rather than socialism or some other, it is much more open to private enterprise and thus more at the whim and weakness of popular consumers en masse.

"A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose your job," according to About.com. This definition may be an example of economist black humor, but it does contain a seed of truth.

The conventional definition of a recession, however, is where the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declines for two or more consecutive quarters. This is a fairly crude measure, so some economists like to factor in additional measures such as unemployment, industrial output and retail sales. The key point, however, is that a quarter-on-quarter deterioration in these measures will result in a recession being called out.

By Michael Vodicka, Zack's Investment Research.

In spite of the recent selloff in the energy sector, most of these stocks are still trading with big gains on the year. This stands in sharp contrast to stocks from the financial sector, which have suffered steep losses as big banks have been forced to liquidate assets and raise capital to support their balance sheets.

Because these two groups of stocks have functioned as polar opposites during this stretch, it has provoked many conversations about which is currently the more attractive investment destination; high-flying energy stocks or beaten down financial stocks.

Its All About Earnings

When you take a look at the earnings picture, this argument becomes very one-sided.

Crude prices have recently dipped lower, but they are still very high when compared to historical norms, and this will translate into big earnings for energy companies. We can see this dynamic expressed through analyst estimates.

Encore Acquisition Co. (NYSE: EAC) shares are still trading up sharply on the year in spite of the stocks recent sell off, but estimates have risen in tandem with the stock price, with the current-year estimate advancing to $5.07 per share per share from $3.63 per share 90 days ago. This kind of earnings power provides plenty of fundamental strength for more share appreciation.

Robust Growth with Record Numbers

The company recently announced second-quarter results and upped its dividend. Net income of $668 million soared past the previous year's $302 million. During the past 5 consecutive quarters, earnings per share were on average about 9% ahead of analyst expectations, with the most recent results coming in at an impressive 49.5% above expectations.

Commenting on results, U. S. Steel Chairman and CEO John P. Surma said, "We recorded the highest quarterly sales and net income in U. S. Steel's history during the second quarter as all three reportable segments posted record results, reflecting strong operating performance and favorable global pricing dynamics."

Higher Income

By Ken Nagy, CFA, Zacks Investment Research.

June quarter revenue for Actel Corporation (NASDAQ: ACTL) fell short of consensus expectations, as the company was short of Flash product. However, the EPS was in-line. Although Flash product growth was lower than expected, the product line is expected to remain strong for the next few years. Actel continues to enjoy a high margin in select markets, although the quicker ramp of new products is likely to exert some negative pressure.

The exposure to the consumer market is also increasing, so working capital requirements are likely to increase. The stock looks attractive at these price levels, but we are reiterating our Hold rating in view of the broader market uncertainties.

Actel's expertise, the limited competition, and its embedded customer base have enabled the firm to emerge as the leading supplier of HiRel FPGAs to the military, avionics and space industries. Actel's Flash products are beginning to take off. The company has introduced seven product families to date, with varying success. Flash products generated 24% of revenue in Q2 of 2008. The management also expects significantly lower cost of production within the 1Q09-2Q09 timeframe, as the company proceeds on the learning curve and also ships higher volumes.

The company posted a strong fiscal third quarter, noting that it delivered record revenues that were up by 19 % year-over-year. QCOM's third-quarter (GAAP) net income also increased year-over-year.

The Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) company continues to offer a ROE of 20%, squashing the industry average of 2%. Its yield of 1.2% stands out as the company operates in an industry that virtually pays no dividend. QCOM's earnings per share are expected to grow by 19% over the next 3 – 5 years, versus the industry average of 17%. Read our Jul 10, 2008 analysis.