Blog Posts by Rebecca Stropoli

On Friday we all learned the true meaning of the old saying, “What goes up must come down” as the Dow finally ended its winning streak after hitting record after record and inspiring the likes of Mila Kunis (who just might be responsible for the pullback). Still, the blue-chip index logged a fourth straight week of highs after ending its 10-day streak. The S&P 500 also came within mere points of its all-time closing high, only to pull back as well, but the index (along with the Nasdaq) saw a third straight week of gains.

What will next week bring? The scheduled events include a two-day FOMC meeting, which will conclude on Wednesday with a statement, outlook and presser with Fed chief Ben Bernanke, whom some are saying “thank you” to as they check out their (at least for now) fattened portfolios. Expect the euro zone to also be a focus, as the news of Cyprus's bailout -- and the hit to bank customers there -- made headlines on Saturday.

Here are some things to look out for in the week

The cruise industry has experienced a wave of negative publicity in recent months, from February’s five-day sea voyage from hell on a Carnival (CCL) ship to the recent outbreak of the notorious norovirus on a Royal Caribbean (RCL) trip. On Thursday yet another report on power outages and overflowing toilets aboard a Carnival ship was released.

These wildly unpleasant and highly publicized events followed some more-tragic cruise-related headlines, including the January 2012 capsizing of the Costa Concordia in the Mediterranean Sea.

But a smaller cruise line is actually emerging as a winner on one list in 2013: The IPO returns tally. Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCLH), which went public in January at an offer price of $19 per share (above the expected range of $16 to $18), has so far returned 62% to its earliest investors. Its first day of trading saw more than a 30% lift, with the stock closing at $24.79. Shares are now trading at more than $30.

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The White House today is hosting Y! Finance Breakout's own Matt Nesto for a post-State of the Union discussion on jobs and the economy. He is joined by Dr. Alan Krueger, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers.

On Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET, the White House will be hosting Y! Finance Breakout's own Matt Nesto for a post-State of the Union discussion on jobs and the economy. He will be joined by Dr. Alan Krueger, chairman of the  Council of Economic Advisers. Submit questions on Twitter (#WHChat #SOTU and #YFinSOTU), Facebook or in the space below. Let your voice be heard! **

Congress avoided the "fiscal cliff" but the deal raises many questions. The White House answered some of these on Friday during the Yahoo! Finance #FiscalCliff411 Twitter chat. For some of our favorite questions (answered and unanswered), click here.

And here you can see the full chat, with questions answered by Brian Deese, deputy director of the National Economic Council.

Stay tuned for more: The conversation is just getting started.

2012 was a year complete with mixed economic data, "QE infinity" actions from the Federal Reserve, ever-present euro zone worries, a "Wall Street is rigged" sentimentality and, of course, the continuing "fiscal cliff" soap opera. But for all the uncertainty that reigned amid the signs of a continuing -- if maddeningly sluggish -- economic recovery, the market overall saw some pretty solid returns. So far for 2012, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up around 5%, the S&P 500 11% and the Nasdaq 15%. There has been some late-year loss due to "cliff" fears, and this may accelerate as we near 2013 with no budget deal yet sealed. But this seems like a good time to take a look at some of the stocks that have performed particularly well this past year.

For this exercise, Yahoo! Finance chose to go with the S&P 1,500 index, which includes the S&P 500 index of large cap stocks along with the MidCap 400 and SmallCap 600. Naturally, the smaller the market cap of a company is, the easier it is

Following the initial visceral, emotional reaction to the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn., the conversation naturally turned to the major issues at hand, such as gun control laws, Second-Amendment rights and the state of mental health care in the U.S.

And while we are still in the very early hours of the "aftermath" stage, businesses, too, have started to rethink certain practices as they weigh public sentiment and consider the possible impact this incident might have going forward.

Superstore Walmart (WMT), which sells guns at 1,750 of its 4,602 stores and ranks No. 1 in firearm and ammunition sales compared to its national competitors, has reacted by pulling one gun from its Web listings: the Bushmaster Patrolman's Carbine M4A3 Rifle. This gun is a popular, military-style rifle which, because of added barrel length, is legal for sale to individuals.  It is also in the same family of rifles as the one used by 20-year-old gunman Adam Lanza in the