Obsolete Certainty

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Authorities said a man accused of stealing a car then reporting it stolen remains in custody after telling police he was robbed at gunpoint while trying to buy crack cocaine with a credit card. The Flint Journal said the man reported Thursday night that a 2003 Chevy Malibu had been stolen….

The week ahead is a particularly slow one. The only major releases are the Trade Balance on Wednesday and Retail Sales report on Thursday. Plus, Friday will see February’s first measure of consumer confidence. With little fresh data to anticipate, the fear is that markets will continue on their downward path this week. Since January 19 the Dow has shed 5.6% while the S&P 500 has lost 6.9%. One hour before the opening bell, however, equity markets are looking stable. Dow futures are up 10 points to 10,012 and S&P 500 futures are up 3.08 points to 1,066. Meantime, WTI Crude oil is starting the week 15 cents higher at $71.34 per barrel and Spot Gold is up $1.90 to $1,068.20. The US dollar, by contrast, is lower against the majors after hitting the highest level since the summer of…(read more)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Dow industrials closed below 10,000 for the first time since November on Monday as investors sold bank shares due to heightened concerns about the euro zone’s sovereign debt troubles.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks face more turbulence that could send indexes spiraling through key levels this week as doubts about the global recovery’s pace persist and fears linger over Europe’s sovereign debt woes.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stocks face more turbulence that could send indexes spiraling through key levels this week as doubts about the global recovery’s pace persist and fears linger over Europe’s sovereign debt woes.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stocks face more turbulence that could send indexes spiraling through key levels next week as doubts about the pace of the global recovery persist and fears over Europe’s sovereign debt woes rattle sentiment.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — If you trust a rodent to predict when winter will end, how about an ape to guide your Super Bowl winner selection?…

(Reuters) – Stock index futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street on Friday, after heavy falls in the previous session and following declines in Europe and Asia, with some caution expected ahead of a key labor market report.

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A consumer survey conducted by Thomas Reuters and the University of Michigan indicates that it is sellers who are holding the housing market at low levels. In survey results released today, approximately 75 percent of homeowners who participated in the survey viewed current home buying conditions as favorable because of attractive home prices and low interest rates. However, nine out of ten of those home owners viewed the conditions for the sale of their own home as unfavorable, not because of lack of buyers, but because of price declines . The survey authors viewed these responses as predicting a long-term drag on the housing market for both economic and psychological reasons. There is, the report said, a significant barrier to purchasing a new home if the potential buyer's current home…(read more)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stocks erased a midday drop to end slightly higher on Friday, closing out a volatile week punctuated by mixed signals from the labor market data and growing anxiety over fiscal problems in Europe.