For those who may not have noticed... Consumer Sentiment, as reported by the "Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey", piggy-backs the stock market. Stock market up... sentiment positive. Market down, sentiment down. So... When the market is down Consumer Sentiment is down... so spending is down. I believe that's why the government is so intent on constantly back-stopping the market these days. Government wants people to spend, spend, spend... without pause if possible... even if they have to go into debt to do it... as it provides cover for the government's own deficit spending. It's all quite greedy and sick.. .and will eventually come down around all of our ears. It ain't your grandpa's market any more.