DOW Watch – Feb. 17, 2009 – Is the eleventh hour at hand?

I try to say optomistic about the markets, but, have to agree. I think we are in for a rough roller coaster ride today and probably for the entire week ahead! Ouch!

Your 4040 is our 8000 ;)

Buahahaa, Nasdaq -3% at the opening

Cause I'm Free, free fall'in...

S&P -21
dow -140

well, let's see if they pull a rabbit out of their hat and prop the fucker up again today like they did last thursday...

BEH@LD!

Think Russia will take over Ukraine?

If the S&P falls through 800, it's bad news. It's at 801.99

I`m thinking it will be either much in the green or drop much. Especially with the bill signing. 200+ points up or down.

Down 2.11% in the first 5 min.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

DJIA, +1 minute after opening:



7,711.26 -139.15 / -1.77%

Feb 17 9:31am ET †

I'd say there's very little chance of a +200 day.

[link to www.ft.com]

Ukraine on the brink

Ukraine's name, by some accounts, means "at the edge" - which is where its economy finds itself today. Austria's finance minister warned last week of the risk of an economic "catastrophe" in the 46m-strong country triggering a "domino effect" of problems further west. Ukraine's finance minister, meanwhile, resigned amid differences over budgetary policy that delayed the second tranche of a $16.4bn International Monetary Fund loan, due this weekend. Fitch downgraded the country's credit ratings to B. Some forecasters say the economy could contract by 10 per cent this year; the national currency has slid 40 per cent against the dollar. Spreads on Ukraine's credit default swaps are over 3,000 basis points.

Demand and prices have plummeted for steel, previously 40 per cent of Ukraine's exports, while industry faces higher prices for Russian gas. Cheap foreign financing has dried up. The woes are compounded by the fact that the president and prime minister, leaders of the 2004 Orange Revolution, spend more time mudslinging than working together on coherent anti-crisis policies.

The main sticking point over the IMF loan is a projected 3 per cent budget deficit this year, when the IMF's conditions stipulated a balanced budget. But scope remains for a compromise to get the IMF programme back on track. If so, notes Dresdner Kleinwort, with public sector gross external financing needs of $3bn this year, the country should still be able to service its sovereign debt, which accounts for only about one-fifth of its total $105bn external government and corporate debt.

But with gross financing needs of about $45bn for the economy as a whole, mounting corporate and bank defaults are inevitable - as in Russia. Russia, however, has greater resources for selective corporate bail-outs. And its less dire economic position gives Moscow potential to reassert influence. Russia is one of several partners from whom Ukraine is seeking $5bn of loans to bridge its budget gap.

Fear not! PPT will channel Houdini and the dow will close 8K+!

Bank on it!

Clearly this is a NATO concern.

Well that would mean we really have something to fear

SP500 S&P 500 Index (INDEX) Delayed quote data
798.79 Change:
-28.05

oh great. just when i have to travel to europe. ah well, be nice for a holiday - a very long holiday, lol

ps. After 3p ET is when it will drop hard. Close below 7,000 today.

Down -207 points now. PIN

7644.04 -206.37

This thread should be PINNED!!!!!!!

Roger that Roger! LOL

DOW -230.98 -2.94%

S&P 500 leading the pack:

-31.62 -3.82%

Thanx SHR!

People-People we all know by now it makes little difference what the hell the dow/markets do any longer.Just a joke to keep the American people off balance while the big shit is happening else where. We could very well be in a Depression and the markets are still positive. What a joke..

DOW -244.52


Falling FAST!