Markets Slide Lower

On April 6, 2012, the US Labor Department reported a terrible non-farm payroll report for the month of March. The report stated that only 120000 jobs were created in the United States. This number was much lower than analysts had expected and futures markets all traded lower. This morning, the S&P 500 Index e-mini futures are trading lower by 15.00 points to 1375.25 per contract on the back of that news. As always, traders should keep a close eye on the US Dollar Index after the opening bell rings at the New York Stock Exchange. Often, if the US Dollar Index declines the major stock and commodity indexes will inflate and trade higher.