Nikkei Opens Higher On Thursday

The DOW gained 47 and the S&P gained 9 on "news the government is shoring up life insurers and optimism about consumer spending after Bed Bath & Beyond Inc reported a better-than-expected profit." source

Hey, we'll take it, in fact we'll take anything.

Hidden in the the article quoted above we also find:

...the Federal Reserve's policy-makers lowered projections for real gross domestic product in the second half of the year and 2010, reviving worries about the U.S. economy's health.

In Washington, securities regulators voted to seek public comment on five proposals to curb short selling, which critics have blamed for deepening the financial crisis.

And so buried within this financial article is a reference to how the Fed is thinking about the length of the recession. Its time to learn how to relax and drink tea, we have quite a wait. The projected GDP is lowered through the end of 2010.

Finally, exactly how long do we go without the uptick rule. It looks like they are going to stall its reinstatement as long as possible.

Reuters: Nikkei edges higher, tech shares strong on hopes

...Advantest Corp and other tech shares strong after gains by their U.S. peers on hopes of increased business spending.