Portfolio

Antitrust regulators in Europe stopped the merger of Deutsche Boerse and NYSE Euronext on Wednesday, saying the combined group would have a stranglehold on the listed European futures market and would thwart new entrants.

NYSE Euronext said it would focus on its “standalone strategy,’’ while Deutsche Boerse declared this a ‘black day’ after the European Commission prohibited the merger of the two exchange operators.

President Obama’s fiscal 2013 budget will propose a 28% cap on the value of tax preferences, including tax-exempt interest for municipal bonds, according to knowledgeable sources.

Just over three-quarters—76%—of advisors who have recently shifted to an independent business model say they're better off financially, according to a new study by Fidelity Investments. And 64% of those who say they're better off were better off within six months of their move, according to the study.

Not all trusts are created equal, especially when it comes to protection in a divorce.

Why SPY is the Law & Order of exchange-traded funds, while SPDR Dow Jones Total Market is more like Boston Common.

A positive outlook for 2012 is based on budget improvements at the state and local level

With trust harder to come by, advisors should lean on personalized services and product fluency.

They call it the “January Effect.” Whether it’s the by-product of those Wall Street guys reinvesting their year-end bonuses or individual investors jumping back into the market after selling for year-end tax reasons, the Dow Jones Industrial Average historically gets a nice little (and sometimes huge) bump during the first month of the year. This January was no exception. The Dow rallied up 415.35 points, or 3.4%, in January – the best January percentage gain since 1997. But for some stocks, the year didn’t get off to a very auspicious start. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of time left this year to rebound. Here’s an interactive slide show highlighting the 5 worst-performing Dow component stocks for January 2012:

Whether it’s the by-product of those Wall Street guys reinvesting their legendary end-of-the-year bonuses or individual investors jumping back into the market after selling for year-end tax reasons, the Dow typically takes flight in January. Here's a closer look at the five best-performing Dow stocks last month.