US stock markets gain at the open

Mixed earnings but BOJ stimulus a bonus

It will go down as one of the worst Januarys on record but negative rates from the Bank of Japan are lending an upbeat tone to markets on the final trading day of the month.

The S&P 500 opened up 9 points to 1901. That adds to a 10 point gain on Thursday.

The index is down 6.95% month-to-date.

Volatility has been the name of the game this month and no gain has been safe. Stock bulls may get some help from month-end rebalancing as bonds are sold and stocks bought on relative out/under-performance.