Yesterday, we discussed the possibility of Caterpillar (CAT) having a positive effect on the market; today, it stole the show. The company reported better-than-expected earnings -- or so we thin

Editor's Note: The following was posted in real time on our premium Buzz & Banter (click for a free trial). It's being shared here for the benefit of the Minyanville community.A Manheim Moment -

It was a busy weekend. My daughter’s first communion and party were on Saturday. Then on Sunday, I had another family party to go to. The good news is that my old college friend, Jim Beam, visi

1. The Commodification of Violence; or, We Specialize in Small OrdersThere's much violence in the news these days. So much, in fact, that a certain commodification of it is required to win my attenti

Let's face it: Men are required by convention to do most of the heavy lifting around Valentine's Day, mostly to make up for all the things they've done, or will do, the remaining 364 days of the year

Companies are giving consumers the opportunity to dictate their ad strategy, with one large brand upping the stakes.Whatever their motivation, some of the world’s foremost brands are casting th

Over the course of the near-collapse of the financial system, the government has moved quickly to shore up those institutions it deems to be too big to fail, while letting others go quietly into the

The Securities and Exchange Commission may require some US companies to switch to international accounting rules by 2014. The SEC says the change will make American companies more competitive in the

As the pendulum swings between greed and fear, investors typically behave in 1 of 2 ways: They either become over-enthusiastic during bull markets and over-despondent as the bear’s growl grows

Dell (DELL) says price cuts boosted second quarter sales, but cut profits 17%. Dell’s profit dropped to $616 million, or $0.31 per share, from $746 million, or $0.32, for the same period a year