The market is shrugging off negative job data which could be due to low volume. Many traders moved out of positions over the past few days slowly and into bonds and gold. Supposedly banks are examining their books closely to look for small stress fractures that could be an issue in the near future. Also, they are looking for clarity on financial regulations as they are being written up. It is a tricky time out there for both consumer and for the institutions. The text book are being re-written as we speak.

Is the volume on the exchange concerning? Obviously it down pretty big and many trades are on the bond side. Does this mean we will see a sell-off? Not necessarily but it does mean traders are showing concern. It could mean they took profits off the table and placed the money in stable bonds. The DOW could sell off back to 10,000 over the next few weeks and the Euro could see a drop so be ready for a trade recommendation on both sides.

What is the actual unemployment rate? Is it 9.6% or is it more like 20%? The thing that gets me is what happens to the disgruntled Americans who cannot find a job after 1 yr or after their unemployment money runs out? There thousands and thousands of people that have given up their job search. These individuals are not counted in the overall number. Consumers seem to be left in the dark about this and should know what the numbers truly are. Secondly, this whole Basel thing gives banks until 2019 to get their act together. But when the average American messes up the IRS is banging on our door in weeks. This could slow down the flow of money for Americans who are looking for loans.

Should a company show profits due to the fact that they lay of thousands of people? Is this really a cost savings technique or are companies just worried about their stock price? If sales are lower and momentum seems to be slipping some companies are firing employees. I am all about a free market but when you fire people just to improve your numbers it should not count on the balance sheet. To me this shows a company is struggling.