Last week JPMorgan (JPM), slashed its dividend by 87%. Wednesday, U.S. Bancorp (USB) slashed its dividend by 88%. While the financials continue to wither, some companies are designed to flourish in these difficult economic times. On Thursday, one Titan did just that.

Russia has seen a dramatic decline in their markets and a major recession/depression. This has been mostly due to the commodity collapse as oil has dropped from $148 into the low $30s. The chart on the Russian ETF (RSX) seems to be trying to put in a bottom.

If you put a band aid on a gaping wound and tell the person that they are going to be all right, your actions have done more harm than good. In many ways this is what is happening with the TARP bail out.

The markets work in mysterious ways. As they trade, people try and pick tops and bottoms, selling, buying, shorting, covering. In general, if the majority thinks it is a bottom it is never the bottom and if the majority thinks it is a top, it is never a top.