Stock market crashes have presented investors with some spectacular buying opportunities throughout history.
The stock market isn’t cheap right now. In fact, as my colleague Sean Williams points out, the benchmark S&P 500 index is trading at the second-most-expensive valuation in its history, dating back to 1871.
» Read more about: 3 Stocks I Plan to Buy If the Stock Market Crashes in 2026 »
Oil prices fell in morning trading on Wednesday after Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US will take over the sale of Venezuelan crude oil to the open market.
Futures on West Texas Intermediate crude (CL=F), the US pricing benchmark, plunged by more than 1.6% to trade below $59.40 on the news.
This high-yield stock has an investment-grade balance sheet and a reasonable payout ratio.
Its business is increasingly diversified geographically and with regard to business lines.
» Read more about: If I Could Buy and Hold Only a Single Dividend Stock, This Would Be It. »
Welcome to this week’s edition of 401(k) Real Talk, where Fred Barstein, contributing editor for WealthManagement.com’s RPA channel, reviews all of last week’s industry news and selects the five most important/interesting stories.
Worth reading/listening/noting:
Read the full raw transcript below:
Greetings &
» Read more about: 401(k) Real Talk Episode 179: January 7, 2026 »
If you love dividends but want to invest in dividend stocks the easy way, these dividend ETFs will be right up your alley.
Investing is hard work. And the process doesn’t stop once you’ve bought a stock because you have to keep tracking each investment you add to your portfolio. If you are looking for a way to simplify your investment life,
» Read more about: 3 Dividend ETFs to Buy With $100 and Hold Forever »
Gen Zers are tossing their graduation caps and heading into the workforce with starry six-figure salaries in their eyes. But one of the world’s most prolific entrepreneurs, Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett, says glitzy compensation packages shouldn’t be their aim.
In his parting words as CEO last year,
Finding a job continued to be a slog at the end of the year, new data shows: US businesses sought out fewer workers in November and hiring rates wilted even further.
The number of estimated job openings – a closely watched indicator of labor demand – fell to its lowest level in more than a year,
The US private sector added fewer jobs than expected in December, indicating a continued slowdown in the labor market in the world’s largest economy.
Companies in the private sector added 41,000 jobs in December, payroll processing firm ADP said Wednesday, falling short of Dow Jones analysts’ expectations of 48,000.
» Read more about: US private sector adds 41,000 jobs in December »
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives says Palantir Technologies will be a trillion-dollar company within a year or two.
Palantir Technologies (PLTR +3.79%) stock generated triple-digit returns in 2024 and 2025. The data analytics company is currently worth $415 billion, but Wedbush analyst Dan Ives says the stock can climb 140% in the next year or two,
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s hot start to the year is cooling a bit on Wednesday.
The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, adding to its latest all-time high. Roughly 70% of stocks within the benchmark index were losing ground though, and the gains were coming mainly from several influential technology companies.
» Read more about: Wall Street’s hot start to the year cools as stocks drift »