The Strength of the Market is: Strong

Despite lingering concerns over the state of the global banking system, the S&P 500 was up 1.43% and the Nasdaq Composite gained 4.41%. The Dow Jones lost only 0.15%. The recent banking woes - including another emergency weekend rescue deal, this time with Credit Suisse on the verge of collapse - have investors nervous as markets now look ahead to Wednesday afternoon's interest rate decision by the Federal Reserve - likely another 0.25% increase, followed by a potential pause or even decrease in May and June. Economic reports from last week came back mixed: •Small Business Optimism - higher than expectation •Retail Sales - lower than expectation •Manufacturing (New York) - lower than expectation •Manufacturing (Philadelphia) - lower than expectation •Homebuilder Sentiment - higher than expectation •New Residential Construction - higher than expectation •Consumer Sentiment - lower than expectation •Jobless Claims - lower than expectation This week, investors will look for guidance from economic reports like Housing, National Economic Activity, Manufacturing and Jobless Claims.