….Another Dow record, #9. Goldman says unemployment rate could hit 3.8%. Consumer credit hits a new high. Merger Monday. Earnings news roundup. How your phone measures. Financial Review by Sinclair Noe for 08-07-2017   DOW + 25 = 22,118 SPX + 4 = 2480 NAS + 32 = 6383 RUT + 1 = 1414 10 Y – .01 = 2.26% OIL – .27 = 49.31 GOLD – 1.10 = 1258.30   The Dow hit an early morning, intraday high, dipped into negative territory and then hit a fresh intraday high before drifting into the close. Good enough for the 9th record high close in a row. We have a low-inflation environment, low interest rates, and corporate earnings have come in incredibly well.  Analysts, on average, expect S&P 500 earnings to have expanded 12 percent in the second quarter and project earnings up 9.3 percent for the third quarter. The S&P, which is up about 11 percent this year, is trading at 18 times expected earnings, compared to its 10-year average of 14. How long can the Dow Industrial keep hitting all-time highs? Who knows. But the markets never follow a straight line and eventually this will end.  The streak comes as August trading gets under way and with September looming—historically two of the worst months for investors. If you have cash, there really is no reason to rush out and buy at these levels, especially if you think there will be a sale next week.   Friday’s July employment report ...