More good news, with the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index rising in April, and home prices falling in February.

I bet you are wondering how home prices falling in February is a good thing. Well, it’s simple, it fell month to month, but rose on a year over year basis, for the first time since December, 2006.

It may mean that things are bottoming out.

Certainly, it’s better than the alternative.

Still, the financial crisis looks to remain with us for some time, with Greece and Portugal’s sovereign debt downgraded by Standard & Poors, with some of Greece’s debt now rated as junk bonds.

Unsurprisingly, this has led to a flight to safety and concerns about the recovery, which has driven the dollar higher and oil lower.