The markets have bounced around constantly over the past few days. Tuesday was no exception. Despite a steady decline during Valentine's Day market hours, the Dow Jones Industrial Average
What's the story? The Dow erased some of its early losses when Greece made amends and delivered a late but well-received bouquet of flowers in the form of austerity promises. All right, so it sounds less romantic than a candlelit dinner on the island of Santorini, but we can't get too greedy at this point. After all, Athens is currently engaged in a long-winded negotiation to right a ship that's barely staying afloat.
If anything, this tense relationship between Greece and its European neighbors will cause many more lovers' quarrels, as Greece's debts amount to one and a half times its entire economy. That's a lot of baggage, and the delicate process of rescuing this country will weigh heavily on the economies of Europe and the United States.
The U.S. economy has its own set of issues to worry about, and the Commerce Department's disclosure of retail sales was a bit of a mixed shopping bag. Despite concern that sales would dip following the holidays, January proved rather robust and helped lift major retailer Wal-Mart
Speaking of debt, another company that has been trying rectify its balance sheet, Bank of America
Overall, the Valentine's Day market roller-coaster resembles that of any long-term relationship. There will be some ups and downs along the way, which is why many of our investors have fallen in love with dividend stocks. Find more companies that deliver steady returns in our report, "Secure Your Future With 11 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks." The report could match you with the best dividend stock for your portfolio, so download it now.