People will be focusing on the 10 o'clock number. The market has shifted to a fear of recession, as implied by inversion of the yield curve, and consumer confidence could go a long way to restoring a more positive view.
I think that the idea of never-ending, short-term-rate increases no longer seems as likely to people. But I would not be surprised if the Fed still increases, but signals to the market that they are prepared to stop increasing if the economy slows due to the hurricane.
The alternatives to equity investment today, when money market rates are as high as they are, are much different than they were a year ago. It gives people more of a choice when there is some bad news.
It was too much for the market to overcome. Otherwise, it could have been an even better year profit-wise if so much of (companies') earnings weren't deflected into energy costs.
The issue that the market faces right now is leadership. With the housing stocks losing their leadership, and with energy stocks maybe having run out of steam, the market's really searching for the next group.
The market has been poised to break out on the upside but there seems to be a lot of resistance to every rally.