Paul Nolte Prices Quotations

What a difference a week makes, from improprieties in the Japanese markets to still-higher oil prices amid diplomatic rumblings in the Middle East to less than stellar earnings.

We're getting a moderation in bond yields, and energy prices came down today. We're looking at things more favorably than this morning. There's still residual analysis about the Federal Reserve, and we're seeing some gamesmanship heading into next week's meeting, debating how more hikes we have.

Overall it doesn't look too bad. The prices paid is a concern. We'd like to see it come down a little. It's an inflationary key.

We're struggling with higher energy prices and also the rise in bonds, which is providing some competition for stocks.

The ISM report did have a big impact on the markets, and part of the reason is that the economy is now more of a service economy. And services are going to be much more directly and more immediately impacted by the higher energy prices we have seen.