The stock market's behavior is downright strange lately. Professionals with decades of market experience scratch their heads as the market falls to its lowest point of the year, then surges almost 7% in an afternoon—all for no apparent reason. What's hanging over the stock market these days is uncertainty. BusinessWeek asked stock market experts to identify the biggest unknowns facing investors. These factors will be crucial to clearing up a foggy outlook. Unfortunately, it could take months—if not years—to resolve them. 1. Will the market lows hold? On Nov. 13, the broad S&P 500 index and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite dipped to their lowest points of the year. The Dow Jones industrial average got close, sliding below the key level of 8000. Then, however, buyers flooded the market and all three indices jumped more than 6%, ...

Last week, we looked at the problem looming in many established blue-chip companies that pay dividends now and may not later. They have heavy pension obligations bearing down on them.

These problems should be stated in financial reports. But sometimes they are hidden in plain sight.  A bit of dubious padding in pension plan earnings projections can neatly camouflage millions in shortfall.

By the way—even if you are not buying dozens of stocks for their dividends, this is something good to know. It will help you evaluate those slick plans that brokers, bankers and insurance salesmen hold out to you when you take out life insurance, buy an annuity, set up a 401(k) or do any long-term planning yourself.

Let’s start with a choice: Which would you rather have? $311.80 today to put in a 20-year bond that pays 6% a year? Or would you rather have $1,000 on Nov. 13,

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Here’s the thing about forex trading: there’s always a least one or two major currencies going up at all times. This means there is always a currency safe haven out there. Sean  Hyman says currency ETFs and CDs (Certificates of Deposits) are two easy ways to play the currency market.

This from The Sovereign Society:

The currency market is bigger than all of the world’s stock markets combined. This market gushes with $4 trillion worth of currencies EACH DAY, 24 hours a day.In times of turmoil, there’s always a safe haven in currencies. The trick is finding it. These opportunities normally don’t pop up on investors’ radar screens because most investors have no idea how to even get a quote or a chart for a currency.

In fact, in these tough times the Japanese yen has been soaring like a rocket and so has the Swiss franc. Savvy hedge fund managers

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October 16, picks

CNBC Fast Money traders picks..track them at:

http://trackthepros.com/stocks/category/228

Adami:

GOOG - Google - Buy Gasoline - Buy IBM - IBM - Buy UTX - United Technologies - Buy NVS - Novartis - Buy - Final Trade

Finerman: OIH - Oil Service HLDRS - Buy - Final Trade part 1 USO - United States Oil Fund - Short - Final Trade part 2 NU - Nucor - Buy FCX - Freeport McMoRan - Buy DEO - Diageo - Buy MO - Altria - Buy BUD - Budweiser - Buy, “one of the biggest deals of all time”

Najarian: SCHW - Charles Schwab - Buy ABT - Abbott Labs - Buy C - Citigroup - Buy at $15 and sell an option SLB - Schlumberger - Keep an eye on it, it’s been beaten CHK - Chesapeake - Buy - Final Trade

Terranova: GIS - General Mills - Buy EOG - EOG Resources

...

The government is starting to purchase stakes in financials, so should investors follow suit? Michael Cuggino, manager of the Permanent Portfolio Fund, says yes.

Track his picks at:

http://trackthepros.com/stocks/category/221

“If you’re a long-term investor it is a good buying opportunity,” he told CNBC. “I think if you’re a trader you should have bought a couple of days ago.”

“The long-term fundaments are sound. These companies are the firms that provide the oil for the world’s economic engines—they’re not going away. The federal government has indicated [as much] in their aggressive move to step in and shore them up to the extent they felt they needed to,” he added.

Cuggino likes Morgan Stanley
, Bank of New York Mellon

, State Street

and Charles Schwab

       …

If you look at the companies that major contributors to the presidential candidates are connected with, stock indexes can be created for each candidate. Forbes Magazine came out with a great list of the members of the Forbes 400 that have contributed to presidential campaigns. The following spells out the stocks of each candidate, and who the contributor is. The contributors are either major shareholders or they run or have run these companies. The above graph shows the Barack Obama Stock Index and the John McCain Stock Index and compares them to the Dow Jones Industrial Average. What is interesting is that the returns for the two presidential candidates are almost identical, with the McCain Stock Index down 21% and the Obama Stock Index down 22%. But what is most unusual is that the indices for both candidates greatly underperformed the ...

Blue Ridge CapitalBlue Ridge Capital | John A. Griffin Holdings AnalysisThis post is being written as part of my Investment Securities Tool which analyzes the holdings of hedge fund managers.Blue Ridge Capital is ran by John A. Griffin. Griffin is similar to Steve Mandel at Lone Pine Capital and Lee Ainslie at Maverick Capital in that they all are 'Tiger Cubs' (a.k.a. pupils of Julian Robertson while at Tiger Management). Griffin though, is more well known because he was Julian Robertson's right hand man. So, needless to say, the dude knows his stuff. Blue Ridge seeks absolute returns by investing in companies who dominate their industries and shorting the companies who have fundamental problems. And, right off the bat that presents us with a bit ...

Okay, so the market is pretty much chaos right now. There isn't anyone who won't argue that. Will Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley survive? I don't know. But does it matter at this point? We're about out of investment banks now. Truth be told, some clear thinking would help everyone right now. Who isn't frustrated? But its times like these, believe it or not, when the money is MADE. In case anyone didn't notice Warren Buffett picked up Constellation Energy Group for $26.50 per share. It traded at nearly $70 last week. Nice job, Warren.In the aftermath of this crisis, you're going to have many people who will be very apprehensive with their brokers. A lot of people. These people are going to look at who got them into things like mortgage-back securities for investments, ...

CNBC Fast Money trades for 9/3 show:

Track these picks at:

http://trackthepros.com/

Jeff Macke: POT - Potash - Buy at $150 with a stop at $145

Guy Adami: POT - Potash - Buy HD - Home Depot - Sell GLW - Corning - Buy USB - USB - Buy on a pullback XOM - Exxon - Buy then sell as it approaches $82

Pete Najarian: FTO - Frontier Oil - Buy HMC - Honda - Buy

Jon Najarian: NOK - Nokia - Buy YUM - Yum Brands - Buy MCD - McDonald’s - Buy

Karen Finerman: JCG - J. Crew - Take profits

Carter Worth: MER - Merrill - Sell MS - Morgan Stanley - Sell LEH - Lehman - Sell AMTD - TD Ameritrade - Buy SCHW - Charles Schwab - Buy RJF - Raymond James - Buy

...

CNBC Fast Money Stock Picks - September 2, 2008

Track their picks at:

http://trackthepros.com/

Guy Adami:
JNJ - Johnson & Johnson - Buy
CHD - Church & Dwight - Buy
Jeff Macke:

SHLD - Sears - Buy
WMT - Wal-Mart - Buy

Karen Finerman:

AAPL - Apple - Buy
JCG - J. Crew - Buy

Pete Najarian:
SCHW - Charles Schwab - Buy
AMTD - TD Ameritrade - Buy
LXK - Lexmark - Buy
LMT - Lockheed Martin - Buy