Financial Markets and Japan

Though it does not mean much, the Nikkei was down about 4.1% last week. The DJIA was down 1% and NASDAQ was down 2.5%. This information is from the New York Times.

I am undecided as to the extent of global economic damage caused by the Japanese earthquake. There are several conflicting viewpoints. The matter requires a great deal of thought before writing an opinion given that the full extent of the damage is just now becoming known.

Ultimately, finance is the bottom line. Markets tell us much.

My guess is that the Japanese disaster will drive markets down sharply.