U.S. stocks notch best first quarter since 1998

MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE

U.S. stocks on Friday snare their biggest first-quarter gain in more than a decade, with a better-than-anticipated rise in consumer confidence and spending raising views of the economy. See full story.

March looks like blowout month for U.S. car sales

Automakers should report a blowout month when they report their March sales next week, with some marques likely to set sales records, according to leading industry trackers. See full story.

U.S. stock market�s rise leaves many behind

The U.S. stock market�s stellar performance in 2012 is remarkable in part for the anemic trading volumes that have accompanied Wall Street�s rise See full story.

Betting on quarterly momentum

Does a great quarter increase or decrease the odds for an higher stock market in the next quarter? Mark Hulbert sets out to discover the answer. See full story.

A quarter to remember for global stocks

The first quarter was one of those transition quarters in global markets that takes everybody by surprise. Investors won�t be fooled again. See full story.

MARKETWATCH COMMENTARY

Instead of acknowledging that banks have become a part of government, we keep pretending they are private institutions, writes David Weidner. See full story.

MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE

Is the state that you have designs on retiring to tax friendly or not? And the basic questions to answer are these: How does the state tax your income? How does it tax your property and your consumption? And what�s the overall tax burden? See full story.