Nigerian Pirates Bad All Around

Some are calling them "pirates." The Nigerian rebels who kidnapped several Americans off an oil rig have caused the price of oil to jump more than $1 per barrell in just a day. As they continue to refuse negotiations, the price of oil continues to climb. The Fed produced a copy of its latest meeting's minutes, which imply a much more likely raise in rates. This increase that, in December, was thought to be just "likely" seems now to be improbable. On a lighter note, both Wal-Mart's quarterly profit and Home Depot's net surged today, thanks to high sales for both giants. DJIA: -46.26 Nasdaq: -19.40 S&P 500: -4.20