…Nearing a tipping point on market valuations, trade deals, interest rates. Economy remains strong: LEI up, jobless claims down. Earnings: Paypal, Amex, Skechers. Oil prices fall from sudden run-up. Sports Equinox. Financial Review by Sinclair Noe for 10-18-2018 DOW – 327 = 25,379 SPX – 40 = 2768 NAS – 157 = 7485 RUT – 28 = 1560 10 Y – .01 = 3.17% OIL – 1.10 = 68.65 GOLD + 3.40 = 1226.30   Stocks were down from the open but selling picked up in the late afternoon and was heavy into the close. Selling accelerated after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced that he will not be traveling to Saudi Arabia to attend a summit known as “Davos in the Desert.” Mnuchin’s decision to drop out follows Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met with top Saudi officials to discuss the disappearance of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who has not been seen since entering a Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Trump acknowledged that Khashoggi is dead, and the consequences of his murder should be severe – but we don’t yet know what the consequences, if any, are. Trump administration officials have given the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a few days to concoct an alibi or find a scapegoat.   Today’s declines added to the market’s steep losses for the month. The Dow and S&P 500 have fallen more than 4 percent each, while the Nasdaq is down nearly 7 percent in ...