What Effect Will Lockdowns Plus New Stimulus Checks Have On Markets This Week

What Effect Will Lockdowns Plus New Stimulus Checks Have On Markets This Week

The never-ending coronavirus pandemic has investors demanding the phase four fiscal deal be approved ... [+] soon, as recently returning employees were shown the door once again. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)





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Fresh stimulus and new stimulus checks to some individuals is in the works. Wall Street is begging for it.



But will an ever increasing chorus of governors calling for a return to partial lockdowns, not to mention lockdowns in Japan over the weekend, lead investors, both foreign and domestic, to cash out this week?



For now, all eyes are on the consumer. What shape are they in to keep the market going, thanks to unemployment insurance and money from the Payroll Protection Program keeping most people solvent.



Signals are now emerging that the initial boost from pent-up demand in early summer is fading. Consumers aren't all that interested in attending theme parks and retail in masks on 90 degree days. They are staying home. Consumer confidence is slipping lower due to government enforced joykills.





That, plus market concerns about labor markets, clouds the outlook and could be exacerbated if the government does not announce its final