Weekend Reading: Strategists Remain Cautiously Optimistic

Good Sunday morning. Here are some articles and papers worth reading. First, however, a look back at the week that just finished, and a look forward at the week ahead.

As expected, the major markets advanced last week. With the recent spate of hurricanes over, the markets could take a breather -- and they generally liked what they saw. The Dow and the S&P 500 gained 1.4% and 1.1%, respectively, while the Nasdaq added 1.6%. Click here for the weekly performance.

This week, we may see more of the same, if investors look past what will almost certainly be a spate of crummy releases. Most strategists are cautiously optimistic about the current quarter, despite high oil prices and a high reconstruction-driven deficit. Granted, those same analysts are worried about next year, with it looking increasingly likely that we are in for a rocky start to the year, if not a few quarters of the same. Nevertheless, people are remarkably upbeat about the balance of 2005. ...