Weekend Reading

Happy New Year, and welcome to Weekend Reading. As always, I've scoured the Web for articles and papers worth reading. First, however, a look back at the week that just finished, and a look forward to the week ahead.

It was another upbeat week on the major markets, a suitable end to what turned out to be a standout year. This past week the Dow and the S&P 500 gained 1.0% and 0.5%, respectively, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.6%. It has been a real rocket ride, at least over the past six months. Click here for the weekly performance.

All of the major U.S. indices ended the year having logged double-digit gains. What's more, all 10 major industry groups in the S&P 500 finished the year on a positive note. But keep in mind that even though that index turned in a 14.1% performance, you would have done even better had you ventured outside the U.S. For example, Morgan Stanley Capital's international all-country index was up 19% in 2006. ...