Yesterday’s brutal, but orderly, session was as much a buyers strike as panic selling.

The market is nestled deeply in the extreme fear zone (since February 25).

And the “Mag Seven” names continue to stumble.

The Consumer

The Consumer Discretionary Sector (XLY) ran out of gas long ago, and now it's slamming retailers, including prominent household names.

Insights from the Ground

Dollar General (DG) operated more than 20,000 stores in 48 states (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) and offered a keen observation on the consumer, essentially saying trade downs began last year in upper and middle-income brackets.

Today’s Session

Major indices are moving higher during the pre-market.

Investors are awaiting to see if the senate votes to avoid a government shutdown today. The deadline is at midnight.

All eyes are on the Consumer Sentiment report today, released at 10 AM.