The question of the day is whether U.S. equities are in a real (corrective) contraction, meaning a bear market, or is this just a little sweeping out of the ashes from the fireplace of 2015.

The release of the Federal Open Market Committees minutes from its December policy meeting did little to affect trends in today’s markets.

When it comes to crude oil, oversupply, overproduction and immense in-the-ground reserves are trumping the chaos in diplomatic relations between two key players in the Middle East.