The Market On Friday

  Good morning. It is 34 degrees and raining here in Upstate NY. The weather logos are promising temperatures in the 40s and 50s into the near future. I can't say for certain but it's beginning to look like Spring might be taking hold. I'd say about 70% of the snow has melted away and the ground is looking raw, brown, and soggy. Maybe the lamb is here although no one would be surprised to see Winter come back in some short form.

  At 8:40 a.m. futures are moderately higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open higher.

  It's been a tepid period for the indexes right from the start of the year up to the present. This morning investors are pleased to see that consumer spending and income rose in February, yes that would be right through the heart of the relentless Winter of '14. Also they are predicting that the E.C.B. will make a positive calculated move next week to counter potential deflation in Europe. It could be a good day.

CNN: Stocks: A strong end to a 'meh' March?

The first three months of 2014 have been bumpy and it's possible all the major indexes could end the quarter in the red. The Dow Jones industrial average has declined by 1.9% since the start of the year.