That's the news

Junk Bond Issuance at Record High

Heavy inflows into funds purchasing these securities has led to a considerable narrowing in the spread between the yield on junk bonds and U.S. Treasurys over the past year. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note stands at 1.83 percent.

What could go wrong?  One thing you have to admit here is that Ben is getting all kinds of people invested in all kinds of things that they never would have invested in before.  Broadening their horizons.  And junk bond issuance being at a record high just goes to show that someone will be more than happy to take your money.

Jobless claims rise, but GDP data shows more growth

While jobless claims increased more than expected last week, they have trended lower this year and remain near five-year lows. Last week, initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 16,000 to a seasonally adjusted 357,000, the Labor Department said.

I understand the idea of seasonal adjustment; it makes some readings more comparable to others.  But it feels a lot like they're saying that some unemployment claims don't count.  At any rate, this should be good news for markets because it means the Fed is even more likely to continue with QE.  Yay!

Economy expanded at 0.4 percent rate at end of 2012, latest sign of meager recovery

The U.S. economy is teetering further on the edge of recession, with revised numbers showing economic growth clocking in at an anemic rate at the end of 2012.

What a difference your news source makes in what is actually the news.  Reuters, in the previously linked post about jobless claims and GDP data, spent a lot of time quoting people as saying things are looking better.  Then, Fox comes along and says we're "teetering further on the edge of recession."  But the Fox article talks more about how people feel about the recovery, and the really important thing for this recovery is how people feel about it.  So, despite improving numbers on the economic front, we still aren't out of the dark.  Well, unless you're invested in stocks or real estate.  At least for the time being.