WWJD (What Would Janet Do?)

Janet, as in Janet Yellen of the Federal Reserve (see confused lady pictured above for reference). Stockholders, homebuyers, and finance nerds everywhere are biting their nails and on the edge of their seat as they brace for the Fed's next policy meeting on March 15-16th. This is when the Fed will decide whether to hike short-term interest rates again after raising rates in December off zero for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis.

Many were hoping for an oil production cut to serve as a catalyst for higher stock prices, but that idea has been nixed for the time being. The confidence that rate hikes will be put on hold also helped the stock market rebound since the recent mid-Feb low. 

To keep the country in suspense, the Fed said on Tuesday night that they "simply do not know" if they will hike rates or not. Investors want the economic data (on GDP, personal income and spending) to show evidence of a perfect middle ground - that a recession isn't looming, and at the same time, that the economy isn't heating too much either. Until then, the market continues to be at the mercy of oil prices and Janet.