Just when you thought everything was looking great, the stock market is making you think twice. After flirting with multiyear highs, the Dow Jones Industrials
It's hard to pinpoint any one culprit for the malaise. On one hand, new home sales rose in July, supporting the idea that the housing market is finally recovering. The rebound in housing optimism has been a big part of why Dow component Home Depot
But overall, macroeconomic challenges have translated to specific headwinds for certain companies, and weak performance has pushed many stocks down. Hewlett-Packard
If the damage were isolated to tech, it'd be easier to dismiss it. But other signs abound. Boeing
Calls for further stimulus reflect the pessimism in the economy, but the Fed can't solve the market's woes. Eventually, businesses have to step up and earn their profits if they expect to succeed.
Break the streak
A long string of declines can get you down. But the right long-term perspective can make things a lot easier. If you can ignore some of the noise and focus on making the right strategic decisions for your portfolio, you'll do a lot better.
Part of succeeding with that is getting the best information you can find. For instance, Intel may be down from weak PC demand, but it has a lot of irons in the fire. Get the full scoop by reading through our top tech analysts' thoughts on Intel here.