and the dow s eighth straight weekly rally. the nasdaq is up 12% so far this year. the s&p had its best 30-day start to the year since 1991. a couple things here. a suddenly patient federal reserve and u.s. and china trade talks. more good news for consumers, mortgage rates fell to a 12-year low. 3.7% is the average compared to 4.37% a year ago. it s the end of an era. payless is showing out of business selling shoes. it will close all of its stores in the u.s. and puerto rico. not enough to stay afloat. liquidation sales began yesterday. stores will be closing in march. some will stay open until may. payless also plans to shut down
it s the end of an era. after more than 60 years of selling discount shoes, payless is going out of business. the retailer known for its buy one get one free had a strong following but not enough. it s closing all stores in the u.s. and puerto rico. more than 2,000 of them. payless is expected to file for bankrupt i lat bankruptcy later this month. after filing for bankruptcy in april of 2017, it operated under the control of its creditors. but it doesn t seem to have been enough to save the company. stores will be closing in march. also shutting down its online business as well. whether it s sears or toys r us, brick and mortar are facing heavy competition from other