The Market On Tuesday

The experts are predicting that retail sales numbers and Goldman Sachs' quarterly numbers are going to be good.

European markets are already responding positively.

The data is officially out before the bell rings at 9am.

It appears that for the short term the market is in for a rally, unless the experts are completely off the mark and sometimes they clearly are. Recall when experts predicted that unemployment was slowing two weeks ago, then the harsh numbers came in and sent the market tumbling.

What can we say, banks are having a profitable period. The DOW is presently at 8,331.

Reuters: Stock futures flat before retail sales, Goldman

According to a Reuters poll of economists, June retail sales are expected to rise 0.4 percent, versus an increase of 0.5 percent in May. Excluding autos, retail sales are seen matching the prior month's 0.5 percent gain.

And in Europe -

Reuters: Equities climb ahead of Goldman earnings

LONDON - A burst of confidence in U.S. financial stocks lifted global equities on Tuesday ahead of results for bellwether Goldman Sachs.

At the same time, the VIX .VIX volatility index, sometimes called the fear gauge, had its biggest daily percentage drop since March 10, the day this year's stock market rally started.