The S&P 500 closed lower for the third straight session following some soft manufacturing reports from domestic and China sources. The previous time the index fell three straight days at the start of the year was in 2005 after which the index gained a mere 3%.
The cautious start is not a surprise given the strong advance in 2013. Traders are simply looking for reasons to take some profits and wait for a possible correction.
The jobs readings to come this week will give us an idea if the jobs recovery is valid.