There's a whole lot going on in the US these days, so let's start with a summary of the major economic news

There's a whole lot going on in the US these days, so let's start with a summary of the major economic news. First off, durable goods for December fell by a lofty 4.3%, a significant downside surprise. Bloomberg's median estimate of economists came in at a 1.8% gain, so December's number is clearly disappointing. On the other hand, the awful weather in the US over the last couple months could have very well skewed the results. On the bright side, the Conference Board's index of consumer confidence climbed to 80.7, a decent clip above the 78 predicted by economists and a nice jump from the prior month's 77.5. More importantly, the Fed beings its last meeting in the Bernanke era today. Given the recent negative global economic news, it will be intriguing to see how the Fed handles its tapering timeline. (VIEW LINK)