My conclusion drawn from all of the traders and finance professionals I have dealt with over the past couple of weeks was that the Fed wasn't going to raise interest rates and that was good. They feared a rate hike would tank the market. The Fed didn't raise interest rates and now it is stating to look like the market will trade lower on that news - but it is early to draw that conclusion. The market will have to continue to digest the FOMC announcement and other economic data. But today's market didn't look good. SPX lost $32 to close at $1958 while RUT closed down $17 at $1163. Volatility rose almost two points, with the VIX closing at 22.8%. Trading volume on this expiration Friday was high as usual, so that wasn't the reinforcing sign to the bearish day as it might normally have been. Trading in the S&P 500 companies rose to 3.8 billion shares, well above the 50 dma at 2.4B. Trading volume popped up 56% on the NYSE and increased 60% on NASDAQ.

There wasn't any significant economic date released today, so today's market action may be primarily attributed to the market trying to decide what the FOMC announcement means for the future of the U. S. markets.

I just came back from the All Stars Options Conference held in the NYSE. This is a first class conference - highly recommended. While waiting to get in the building one morning, I noticed a statue and plaque across the street. I stood on the steps of Federal Hall where George Washington took the oath of office for the presidency in 1789. Federal Hall was built as a city hall by the British in 1703 and it was the home of the first U.S. Congress and Supreme Court. The NYSE also has a rich history. They have the letter on display written by Thomas Edison to the exchange offering his ticker tape quotation machine, one of the first treasury bonds issued after the revolutionary war and many other interesting displays - cool place to visit.

Have a great weekend.