The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 19 degrees and cloudy here in Upstate NY. Precipitation is expected but it's also set to go into the 50s on Wednesday and considering it's been around zero, that will be felt as a heat wave. I hope you had a good weekend. The local paper did a little article about me for their business section My Other Life. It's a weekly focus on an individual and what they do beyond their main job. I got the interview because someone I worked for around 13 years ago chatted me up to an editor at the paper. How about that, turns out that sometimes we really do make an impression be it good, bad, or neutral. In this case it was 'A Okay'. Many of us have had an article or something like this happen to them. It's a nice thing indeed and I appreciate it.

  At 8:15 a.m. E.T. futures are slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is slightly lower. The market is poised to open flat.

  Fourth quarter reports continue to roll in and that is the name of this week as well. So far the results have beaten expectations and consequently the market continues a bull run. The new question on everyone's mind is - when do we go back to some type of correction. I think this happens after the report period ends in a short time, but as always it is very difficult to time the market.

CNN: Stocks on hold ahead of earnings

(Caterpillar) The construction equipment maker's results are considered a bellwether for the global economy.

Of the 141 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings so far, 67% have reported results above analyst expectations...