This week could be very telling in what to expect from the markets in the first quarter and the rest of 2014 as a number of important companies report Q4 and 2013 year-end earnings. Today brought in some stock moving releases from Caterpillar Inc. (CAT), Apple Inc. (AAPL), Seagate Technology (STX).

CAT reported better-than-expected earnings before the market opened along with a $10 billion buyback program. 

Its earnings season again!  Q2 results began today with a so-so report from Alcoa (AA), but they will end the week with much awaited reports from JP Morgan (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC).  To be fair, the market began the week on the tail end of a trio of bad stories, a not-so-dynamic duo of emerging stories from the banking sector, and a single focus on the upcoming election.