The former Viacom and CBS completed their merger of equals on Dec. 14, forming the new ViacomCBS Inc. (MORE). It’s an odd coupling, given the same companies split up in January 2006, but it makes sense after considering the poor performance of both equities in recent years. However, despite Wall Street marketing hype, investors are…

Blue-chip stocks are shares of large, established, and financially stable companies that have been around for a long time. The term “blue chip” comes from the game of poker, where a blue chip holds the highest value. On Wall Street, a blue-chip stock is usually a highly valued and well-known company with characteristics that benefit…

Bills of exchange are used in commerce, particularly international tradeby businesses and banks in countries as far-flung and diverse as the U.S., Morocco, and Australia. Think of a bill of exchange as an invoice presented in exchange for goods or services. In international trade, the exporter, or seller, presents a bill of exchange to the…

Oil companies are more concerned with their public images than ever before, especially pertaining to the environmental impact of their operations. Under pressure from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of Fossil Energy, consumers, activists, and shareholders, many oil companies have invested in renewable energies or altered their procedures to “stay green.” The oil…

The transportation sector is often used by many active traders as a gauge for underlying economic conditions. Often regarded as a defensive position, rails, long-haul trucking, package delivery, and other sorts of transport stocks often suffer from similar market trends yet over the long term seem to trend higher. Based on the charts discussed below, it…

What Is Estoppel? The term estoppel refers to a legal principle that prevents someone from arguing something or asserting a right that contradicts what they previously said or agreed to by law. Put simply, estoppel prevents one person from contradicting an action or statement from the past. It is part of common law and is…

Who Was Simon Kuznets? Simon Kuznets, a Russian-American development economist and statistician, was awarded the 1971 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for his research on economic growth. He set the standard for national income accounting, enabling accurate estimates of gross national product to be calculated for the first time. Key Takeaways Simon Kuznets, a Russian-American…

What Is an Advance Block? Advance block is the name given to a candlestick trading pattern. The pattern is a three-candle bearish setup that is considered to be a reversal pattern—a suggestion that price action is about to change from what had been an upward trend to a downward trend in relatively short time frames….