Jester,

Yes, was certainly in 'fear mode', and the last several market days have helped relieve that. In the end, I only sold off 5% of my stocks (who would've thought the oil co's would rebound so greatly), so I'm basically pat. Or, a deer in the headlights - same effect.

I agree that we may go back and test the lows. Based both on the economy (how many people feel like testing out a $50k Ford F-150 that twelve other people tried out that day?), and especially how small business actually survives this. (Open restaurants with few customers?)  The package certainly helps.

But also given how uncoordinated the medical response has been is concerning to me. It is possible that, if caes skyrocket as seems likely, if hospitals get overwhelmed and patient start dying in hospital corridors, that may over-ride any decent economic news. (Some doctors are seriously considering 'code blue' protocols where a patient goes into respiratory or cardiac arrest, to 'Do Not Resusitate', regardless of what they or the family wants - done under the rubric of too dangerous for heathcare workers to flood the room, and the cost in masks and other protective equipment would be too great. (O.K. Boomer.)

There is this: The 3 million unemployment applications barely made the market blink. And, in the next several months, a lot of numbers may be scary, but meaningless, in terms of valuation of companies - e.g., is a 25% hit to GDP in Q2 really different than a 35% hit? If Ford sells 40% fewer vehicles in March than February, would 55% fewer make a difference? My point being that there is the possibility that, with lack of clarity, the 'talking heads' on CNBC can spin any scenario they want to, plausibly. 

Or, maybe the numbers do matter. Kind of like when a co pre-announces bad results and gets hit badly. When the CC comes around, even though everyone knows the numbers will be bad, it seems to me the majority of the time the stock gets hit again on the actual news. That would make for a very rough Q2 as numbers will be miserable for most. 

So, yes, the current 'partial V' in the stock market has me less panicked. Much less. If I have my wits about me, which is questionable, if the rally stalls out, I ought to consider selling some stock and raising cash. That would seem to be the rational thing to do, as our ability to respond to the virus is hampered by bad decisions, supply problems, and goofy ideas like getting America back to work asap so the hospitals will certainly become overwhelmed.

It's interesting to see how many different 'truths' can be manufactured out of a lack of clarity: On CNBC, two medical 'experts' appeared - (I think they were medical people, I wasn't watching closely) - one said that if we start to go back into work, perhaps the death toll will be 40,000. The other said if we do that, the death toll would be 400,000, minimum (or maybe it was 400,000 and 4 million) - doesn't matter, the point is that there are some very different scenarios out there, all based on lack of critical information. Including some medical folks who are endorsing Trump's wishes to trade lives for economics, which is scary.

Lastly, the ususal - The Republicans make a big stink that maybe giving unemployed $600/wk. would give them more $ than working. At the same time that the 'priviledged class' are better protected than anyone. Rand Paul, when asked how he got tested for the virus on demand, transgressing the 'rule' that only the symptomatic should be tested to conserve preciously small supplies, refused to answer the question. When Trump says, 'We're all going to be ok", it makes me wonder who is included in 'we.'