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….

Outperforming your average bond fund on a risk-adjusted basis is not a particularly difficult task for the savvy retail investor. For investors, learning how to create a successful bond portfolio starts with learning some simple allocation methods. The advantages of doing so can be immediate, such as avoiding the high management fees some fund managers…

What Is a Short Line Candle? Short line candles—also known as short candles—are candles on a candlestick chart that have a short real body. This one-bar pattern occurs when there is only a small difference between the opening price and the closing price over a given period. The length of the upper and lower shadows—representing…

What Is a Corporate Pension Plan? A corporate pension plan is a benefit that provides income in retirement based on the employee’s length of service to the company and salary history. Pension plans for American workers have become rare outside of government employment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, the percentage of…