We had an impressive GDP report last Thursday, which sent the market up nicely that day. The following day (Friday), the market appeared to suffer from buyer's remorse after finding that most of the GDP gain was due to the fiscal stimulus. As a result, we lost all of the previous day's gains and then some. The market was able to stay in the positive territory today, helped by good news flow on the economic and earnings fronts.

For my first weekly commentary, I want to discuss my market outlook - to provide readers with my take on the market's course going forward. This is important given a busy economic calendar, with the Fed's FOMC meeting ending on Wednesday and October payroll numbers on Friday.

The strong third-quarter earnings season to date and the equally strong third-quarter GDP report are evidence that the market's impressive run up from its March

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Canadian Natural Resources Limited (...

Many investors are somewhat dazed and befuddled as they watch what used to be called “The Natural Resources Sector” bounce up and down as the summer season commences.  With the dollar up again, commodities including the precious metals and oil were off sharply yesterday. All in all, it was just a broadly negative day. Little was spared, including equities, which also took a serious hit.  Even perennial bull James Moore, of TheBullionDesk.com, was forced to write that, “Short-term the metal [gold] could extend lower as a result of the dollar.”  John Reade, of UBS in London, concurred, writing that, “We would not be surprised to see further short-term declines, especially in the absence of any material jewelry, physical-investment or ETF demand.”

How do you put a happy face on that? Easy, according to the folks at Casey Research. “However, the current correction is likely to prove beneficial longer-term with the

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A massive slump in oil exploration spending pummeled Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB), the world’s largest oilfield services corporation, as profit fell 17% in the fourth quarter. But the company said curtailed spending could be setting the stage for a rebound in oil and gas prices as supplies dwindle. Schlumberger is pulling back as a collapse in petroleum prices led to a sharp drop in exploration spending by its customers. Commodity prices have plummeted in recent months, as recessions in some of the world’s largest economies dampened demand. Like all oil producers, Schlumberger has been hurt by the plunge in the price of oil, which has fallen from $147 per barrel in July to about $42 per barrel now. The company has also seen its budget for exploration cut by 40%....

Atticus CapitalAtticus Capital | 13 Hedge Fund HoldingsThis post is being written as part of HedgeFundBlogger.com's Investment Securities Tool which analyzes the holdings of hedge fund managers.Atticus Capital is a $13 billion hedge fund ran by Timothy Barakett. In 2005, Atticus' funds were up a combined 45%. And, they finished well over 30% for 2006. Barakett founded the firm at age 26 in 1995 and focuses on taking large, concentrated positions in companies. One of Atticus' most famous investments was Phelps Dodge, a miner which was bought out by Freeport McMoran (FCX). At one point, Atticus owned more than 9% of Phelps. And, they continue to hold their position in what is now the combined FCX. Barakett ...

Morningstar analyst Kish Patel believes these four Canadian Energy companies are ON SALE:

Sponsored by:

ECA) It’s a difficult feat to find a major natural-gas play in North America where EnCana hasn’t already established a dominant acreage position. From northeast British Columbia (home of the Montney tight gas and Horn River shale gas plays) to the prolific east Texas region (the Deep Bossier play), EnCana has an enviable opportunity set. What separates it from most of is peers is its patience with reservoir evaluation and its technical innovation. Add high-quality in-situ oil sands assets that will get spun out

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