Stocks had a rough day today, giving the bulls and true believers an intraday downdraft that rattled their teeth.

Volumes were about fifty percent higher than normal. 

This has been the worst December for stocks in a decade. 

And as of now, most major stock indices are negative on the year.

It's a good thing that we gave, the largest corporations and the wealthiest few a big tax cut to stimulate the economy. 

Or to be squandered on massive stock buybacks to boost the managerial quarterly bonuses based, not on business fundamentals, but on stock price.

Tomorrow is a triple (or is it quad) witching option expiration. 

If the wiseguys have any tricks up their sleeves we might see those cards hit the table either tomorrow or next week.

Gold definitely caught a safe haven bid today, reversing the decline of yesterday sharply, and then some, poking its head about the top of the trend for the latter part of this year.

A portfolio weighted to gold and cash provided some relief from worry today, although gold's performance this year has been fairly awful, to say the least.

Let's see if it can break out from this trend it has been tracking since it hit the yearly low at $1159 in August.

Have a pleasant evening.

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