US Federal Reserve

Submitted by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com,

This past week, the big news for the market was the release of the April 27th FOMC minutes which once again suggested the Federal Reserve may be on a path to hike rates sooner rather than later. The reality is simple, with the markets hovering on critical support, a Presidential election just around the corner and no real evidence of economic recovery, the likelihood of a rate hike in June is approaching zero.

Here are some key highlights from the meeting minutes:

Submitted by Eugen von Bohm-Bawerk via Bawerk.net,

Submitted by Wolf Richter via WolfStreet.com,

A leading indicator of big trouble.

It will be fitting, not to mention symmetric, if stocks which yesterday closed at 7 weeks lows and red for the year, end the week the same way they started it: with a rally on no news, just more hopes that oil (which as recently as two years ago none other than Chair Yellen said said would be be "unambiguously good" if lower) will continue rising.