The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 37 degrees and overcast here in Upstate NY. Rain is expected later today. I hope you had a good weekend. We are experiencing early Spring, the snow has almost completely retreated, and we are left with the brownness of pre-snow Fall. We've been doing yard work, raking up the missed leaves all the while keeping an eye out for the first signs of a crocus. I find this period to be a bit of a physical and mental adjustment, it's like we are shedding an old skin. The new skin is a little delicate.

  At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open lower.

  Right now it's all about anticipation of corporate first quarter reports. The market seems to be readying itself for what is expected to be less than stellar numbers. We've heard this before though, the pessimism of the pre-report period. The proof is in the pudding, the first report is due out later this week.

CNN: Stocks: Starting the week in the red

There is little economic or corporate news on the docket Monday.

Earnings for the companies in the S&P 500 are expected to be down 1.2% in the first quarter...