After falling to within striking distance of its July 15 closing low (75 points), the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 80 points from its lows of the day. Breadth remains negative, with 22 Dow stocks lower and 8 higher. However, the financials (Citi, JP Morgan, BofA, and AIG) have poked back into positive territory in recent trade. VIX seems to be responding as well. After hitting a high of 24.71, the volatility index is back down to 24.28. In short, financials are trying to lead a midday turnaround.