The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 36 degrees and cloudy here in the Upper Hudson Valley. Beyond today the forecast is promising several days filled with sunshine. We can use it. Yesterday's snow is melting away and all roads and driveways are clear. The startling news of the morning is about the rising level of the Mississippi and how that is threatening millions of people. We read that the southern part of the US would get an above average level of precipitation this Winter and that's coming true.

  At 9:10 a.m. ET futures are moderately lower and the price of oil per barrel is down just below $37. The market is poised to open lower.

   The year is winding down, oil remains under pressure as the glut continues, and there appears to be a lot of hand wringing going on with concerns about China's slowdown and rising interest rates. What caught my attention was this notice from the IMF that 2016 may very well disappoint. Keep in mind that predictions about the market still remain vulnerable no matter who is offering it.

CNN: Stocks: 3 things to know before the open

The chief of the International Monetary Fund said rising U.S. interest rates and the slowdown in China are creating uncertainty in the global economy. Writing in German newspaper Handelsblatt, Christine Lagarde said global growth will be disappointing in 2016.