Nasdaq record close. Oil down. Productivity down but we don’t know why, or maybe we do. Honeywell in talks for JDA Software. AI unicorns. Earnings roundup. Shooting stars. Financial Review by Sinclair Noe for 08-09-2016 DOW + 3 = 18,533 SPX + 0.85% = 2181 NAS + 12 = 5225 10 Y – .04 = 1.55% OIL – .38 = 42.64 GOLD + 5.60 = 1341.60   The Nasdaq hit a record high close today; the other major indices are close to record highs. Stocks have traded within a 2% range for the past 3 weeks. Bullish side of the equation: earnings aren’t declining as bad as feared, and central banks around the world are pumping cash into the markets. Bearish sentiment: earnings are still declining, slower global growth and election uncertainty. Whether you are in the bullish or bearish camp, one thing is certain, the market is tight, and at some point it will breakout or breakdown.   Oil prices were down again today. If you’re wondering when you’ll see low oil prices reflected in the price at the pump – the answer is soon. The Energy Information Administration cut its price forecast for national average retail gasoline prices to $1.95 a gallon in the fourth quarter, down from last month’s forecast of $2.07 a gallon. The EIA expects gasoline prices to hold below $2 a gallon on average from October through February.   The Labor Department said that productivity dropped at a 0.5 percent annual rate in the ...