The Market On Thursday

Good morning. It is cloudy and cold here in Upstate NY. We are digging out from two consecutive snow storms and we are up to our eyeballs in snow, literally. The pile of snow at the end of the driveway is at eye level. We need that 40 degree day to give us some hope because the bitter cold snap and the snow storms have been relentless.

At 8:20 a.m. futures are slightly down, the dollar is mixed, and oil is up.

Investors are biding their time till tomorrow's release of government figures on employment. The investment journalists are talking about investors cautiously holding the reins till Friday.

We are continuing through the fourth quarter reports which mostly continue to exceed expectations. What is desperately needed is some growth in the job market.

CNN: Stocks set for lackluster open

"People are positioning for Friday's jobs report which will be exceedingly important..."


Thursday afternoon, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke will address the National Press Club in Washington.


...more than two-thirds of retailers posting better-than-expected results so far...


Oil for March delivery gained $1.14 to $92 a barrel.