The Hardesty Blog has returned with a renewed vigor.

The markets had a good week, bolstered by news from Europe. The Dow was up 1.97%, the S&P 1.71%, and the Nasdaq 1.12%.

European Central Bank head Mario Draghi’s comments were the focus of the week. Draghi said that he is willing to do whatever is necessary to keep the Eurozone intact. There is still plenty of uncertainty in Europe. There is still plenty of it here, too: a fiscal cliff and an election are among the American uncertainties. But we believe that, in the short term, the Eurozone will not break up. This idea has stabilized the markets somewhat.

Next week, earnings season continues. As well as watching our companies, we’ll look at the unemployment figure, as well as initial claims.

This week’s factoid: In ancient Greece, Olympic athletes were expected to be the pinnacles of both mind and body. Poetry and verse were an important part of the games. At Hardesty Capital Management, we believe the Portfolio Management event would be an exciting addition to the 2016 games.