How the Dollar and Europe's Ireland Moves Will Steer Fate of U.S. Stocks

By Jon D. Markman, Contributing Writer, Money Morning

Stocks retreated over the past week following an earnings warning from tech giant Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), renewed tensions in Europe over the ability of Ireland to pay its debts and a surge in the U.S. dollar.

Overlaying the action was word out of South Korea that the G-20 meeting of leaders of the world's largest economies was not going well, with European and Asian leaders expressing exasperation with U.S. monetary stimulus and a distaste for U.S. President Barack Obama's scolding tone on export targets.