When stock markets fluctuate, investors get antsy. Sell before things get worse? Buy up the bargains? What’s the right strategy? In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, host Jeff Salkin sits down with David Kass, who explains why you should resist the impulse to guess where the market is headed.

"All across the television landscape, viewers are changing how they watch TV," a host of NPR's Morning Edition recently noted. "Instead of taking in episodes of hit shows like 'The Big Bang Theory' once a week, people are stockpiling episodes to watch them later."

By David B. Sicilia

SMITH BRAIN TRUST -- It might not be the sexiest industry in the world, but investors foresee strong growth in the mattress industry, which generates some $14 billion in sales annually in the United States. There's intense activity both in the traditional part of the industry, dominated by a few large manufacturers and retailers, as well as in a plucky start-up sector that uses an online-sales model.

Smith Partners on State International Trade Initiative The Maryland Department of Commerce just launched a new international initiative to boost exporting by Maryland companies and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School is partnering with the agency to help.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — The Federal Reserve's decision to  raise interest rates for the first time since 2006 “has the potential to push up the cost of mortgages, slow jobs creation and curb stock prices,” says pr

SMITH BRAIN TRUST -- Despite its recent stock market volatility, slow growth and ranking 28th in global competitiveness, China remains the world’s second-largest economy. The country’s leaders are now keen to see China close in on Silicon Valley in terms of creating world-beating tech firms.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Yahoo announced on Wednesday that it was reversing course on a plan to spin off its stake in the Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba — shares worth more than $30 billion.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — The price of crude oil dipped below $40 for the first time since 2009 this week — a sign of the relentless pressure on oil companies caused by high global output.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST -- Responding to pressure from shareholders, Yahoo has dropped a plan to spin off its holdings in Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce company.