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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The Federal Reserve has worked its magic, but now there are other forces at work, Jim Cramer told his "Mad Money" TV show viewers Wednesday as he examined just how much the Fed really matters to the markets at this point in the recovery.

Cramer said the speculation over what the Fed may or may not do next and when certainly captures a lot of headlines and added to the confusion of today's trading in particular. He also acknowledged that continued low interest rates are literally forcing those who manage money to abandon bonds and invest in high paying dividend stocks instead. ...

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NEW YORK ( TheStreet ) -- Searching for reliable income, investors have been pouring into exchange-traded funds that hold large-cap dividend stocks.

Favorite choices include iShares Dow Jones Select Dividend , which yields 3.3%, and SPDR S&P Dividend , with a yield of 2.8%.

But the funds may not be as safe as many shareholders think. The problem is that dividend stocks have rallied sharply. Now many command premium prices. ...

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Brittany Umar and Scott Redler, chief strategic officer at T3Live.com, reveal how to trade stocks ahead of earnings season: retail, banks, tech.

Gas inventories rise while crude oil inventories fall, and SCS Commodities's Tom Reilly tells Joe Deaux what it means for investors.

The IEA is calling for a 'supply shock' in global oil. TheStreet's Dan Dicker tells Joe Deaux how this affects U.S. energy independence.

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Let's give credit where credit is due, Jim Cramer said on "Mad Money" Wednesday. While some investors credit the market's rally to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke or a global economy that's on the mend, the real heroes of this market are great CEOs.

This quarter more than any other, investors have been able to see how great CEOs respond to changing market conditions and lead their companies to greatness, said Cramer. ...

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- It's always darkest before the dawn, Jim Cramer said on "Mad Money" Thursday, and the dawn may finally be at hand for Europe. If that's true, he added, then it will be a game-changer for the stock market.

Cramer said he hasn't mentioned Europe of late because up until a few weeks ago there hasn't been anything positive to say. The European markets were continuing to weaken because the central bank opted to raise, rather than lower, interest rates. As the continent's economy ground to a halt, it took China with it because Europe is the largest market for Chinese goods. ...

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Dan Dicker talks to Jim Cramer about the recent earnings beats of the big oil majors and ranks his preferences going forward.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- My reputation as a bear and short-seller are well-deserved. This is especially true in my opinion of energy prices. During the last year, I have become even more bearish in the wake of so many recoverable oil discoveries.

As a result of the media focus on the Bakken Shale formation occupying the midwestern part of the United States, you may believe North Dakota is the center of the shale energy universe. It's true that North Dakota's energy production is growing at an amazing pace, despite its relatively harsh winters and distance from population centers.

North Dakota oil production expanded enough to make the state the second largest crude oil producer in the nation. North Dakota and the related oil boom may make for exciting news stories; however, Texas not only maintains its leading role in energy production, but may soon expand its lead in production. ...

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Today could have been called "national lemming day," Jim Cramer told "Mad Money" viewers Wednesday, because analyst after analyst took the plunge and downgraded their favorite stocks.

That was certainly the case with Apple , a stock Cramer owns for his charitable trust, Action Alerts PLUS. He said all those analysts holding out hope for a gigantic dividend boost finally gave up and downgraded or cut their targets. ...

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