Next Move for Stocks: Down, Up, or Sideways?

U. S. stocks are on a roll. The Dow Jones Industrials, S&P 500, and Russell 2000 benchmarks have managed to scale new highs. Now, threats are re-surfacing. Cyprus has brought the European credit crisis back to the headlines. The housing recovery is prompting the Fed to mull on cutting stimulus. March factory activity data notch up growth concerns. Will the negatives cause the best mutual funds for 2013 and top ETFs for 2013 to sell-off?

The best performing Fidelity Select Fund on average beats the S&P 500 by 50% each year. Fidelity Select Biotechnology stands a good chance of finishing as the best performing Select fund in 2011. To read the 2012 forecast, read Fidelity Select Funds: Best, Worst, and 2012 Forecast.

AlphaProfit will provide new sector recommendations on March 31, 2010 and reposition the Core and Focus model portfolios with recommended Fidelity Funds and ETFs.

By greg group: High dividend investing is one proven strategy many investors use to mitigate risk and produce income in either volatile or bear markets. The world is a mess with the turmoil in Europe and the Middle East, the fiscal cliff in the U.S., and geopolitical issues that can change daily. With the continued market uncertainty, dividend stocks are the place to be for more consistent income.

By Jarred Cummans:After a long wait, this week will kick off earnings season, as investors around the world will be looking to see how the corporate sector has fared over the last three months. Though stock markets have been able to rally for the first quarter of 2012, some are worried that individual companies have not followed suit. Bad news came on Friday, as the number of jobs added was less than expected, despite bringing unemployment down to 8.2%.

Oil prices rose about 5 percent last week to finish only a dollar short of regaining triple-digit status. Since dipping below $80 per barrel on October 3, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices have increased almost 28 percent. This increase is nearly twice that of the S&P 500 Index, up 15 percent since October 3, but reinforces a recent trend for oil prices—as equities go, so goes oil. This chart put together by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), illustrates how WTI crude oil prices and equities have moved nearly in tandem over the past few months.

Despite a major sell-off, most equity fund categories again managed gains. Chalk up another win for investors who had the guts to stay put in the stock market -- and for those who held on for no better reason than inertia. ¶ Most stock mutual fund categories scored gains in the three months ended March 31, the fourth straight quarterly advance after the meltdown of 2008 and early 2009. ¶ The average U.S.