Fed sets target for buying mortgage-backed securities… Initial jobless claims fall more than expected… S&P 500 futures up 0.4 pct, Dow futures up 0.2 pct, Nasdaq futures off 0.3 pct

The U.S. economy is in a recession, and the over-leveraged U.S. consumer won’t be able to ride to the rescue as they have in the past. And I don’t expect the stimulus checks to help much either, as they are way too little too late.