Stocks Dull as Investors Await Late Non-Farm Payroll Data

Talk about dull days, the entire range on the Dow from top to bottom was 48 points. The S&P was marginally more active, with a trading range of seven points. For the most part, traders were waiting for something more market-moving, like the release of the September non-farm payrolls, which are due out Tuesday at 8:30 am, delayed due to the government shutdown earlier in the month.

That seems to be all the market can get excited over, and maybe not even that. Earnings released thus far have fallen into a range of awful to OK, with nothing - other than tech or momentum stocks like Google - really stirring the animal spirits of investors or speculators.

More evidence of the deleterious effects of incessant government intervention? Maybe. But it's equally possible that stocks are pausing for an event or some other catalyst by which to move stocks, though, considering the recent run-up off the government closure and subsequent debt and budget deals, the next move may not be to traders' liking.

Meanwhile, the level of new highs to new lows is bordering on insanity, 731-28, numbers that depict an explosive environment, not a dead one.

We shall await and see.

Dow 15,392.20, -7.45 (0.05%)
Nasdaq 3,920.05, +5.77 (0.15%)
S&P 500 1,744.66, +0.16 (0.01%)
10-Yr Bond 2.61%, +0.02
NYSE Volume 3,062,334,250
Nasdaq Volume 1,726,410,500
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ Advance - Decline: 2690-2892
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ New highs - New lows: 731-28
WTI crude oil: 99.22, -1.59
Gold: 1,315.80, +1.20
Silver: 22.28, +0.365
Corn: 444.00, +2.50