Classic Window Dressing

You know it is window dressing when you see strength in the market's recent leaders at the end of the month.

Strength within materials, coal, metals & mining, oil & gas groups today enabled the market to close with a gain even as oil prices managed to snap back and close higher. So much for the notion that the market goes down as oil prices climb.

The most interesting part of the day in my opinion was the strength within the retailers. I suspect that some are trying to go after these stocks on the idea that the worst is behind the consumer as oil prices are set to fall. We'll see if it gains any traction beyond what we saw today. Meanwhile, the financials continue to search for a bottom like a blind man without a cane:

Tomorrow we have the GDP report and the oil inventories data (my mistake about it being released today - I forgot it was only a 4-day week) along with a lot of other noise to deal with.

I hope the week is going well for you so far.