Tom Essaye: Jobs Report Needs Stronger Beat to Derail Fed Rate-Cut Hopes

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Different payroll scenarios could spark sharp swings in stocks and yields

It will take a doozy of a jobs report to derail investor expectations for a September rate cut

Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research, said it would take a much stronger payrolls beat to derail rate-cut expectations and pressure equities.

He outlined several scenarios:

  • Best case: Payrolls rise around 150,000 with steady unemployment and tame wage growth. This would ease growth worries while keeping a September cut in play.

  • Hot surprise: Payrolls of 250,000+ and unemployment at 4% or below could spark a 1%+ S&P 500 drop and a sharp rise in 10-year Treasury yields.

  • Weak reading: Payrolls below 25,000 with unemployment at 4.4% could trigger a short-term rally on “bad-is-good” rate-cut optimism, but Essaye warned it would ultimately weigh on stocks as growth fears mount.

“A bounce in the S&P 500 initially shouldn’t be a total surprise, but beyond the short term this outcome would not be positive,” Essaye wrote.

Also, click here to view the full Market Watch article published in Morningstar on September 4th, 2025. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

If you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

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Jobs Day

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Abbreviated Jobs Report Preview

Futures are modestly higher ahead of the jobs report and following solid tech earnings overnight.

Semiconductor company Broadcom (AVGO) beat estimates and offered bullish guidance and the stock is up 9% pre-market and that’s helping to lift futures.

Economically, German Manufacturers’ Orders missed estimates, felling –2.9% vs. (E) 0.5%.

Focus today will be on the jobs report and expectations are as follows:  E: 77K Job-Adds, 4.3% Unemployment Rate, 3.8% Wage Growth.  Any job adds number in the mid to low 100k range would be ideal for stocks as it would keep rate cut expectations high but also signal a stable labor market.  Conversely, if job adds drop close to zero (or even go negative even with revisions) it’ll increase concerns the labor market is cooling, boost slowdown fears and likely hit stocks.

 

Sevens Report’s Tyler Richey: AI Stock Stumble Signals Bearish Exhaustion

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Mega-cap tech weakness poses broader risks to equity markets

AI stock boom starts to stumble as investors increase bets against sector

A recent stumble in AI-related stocks “highlights some degree of bearish exhaustion in the underlying AI narrative,” said Tyler Richey, co-editor at Sevens Report Research.

“There are signs the market is turning on AI stocks,” Richey warned, adding that a meaningful and lasting rethinking by investors could pose significant risks for the broader equity market. The concern stems from the heavy concentration of mega-cap tech stocks such as NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Meta within the S&P 500 and other major indexes.

“This could be extremely detrimental to even the most vanilla index strategies,” Richey said. With a record amount of U.S. personal wealth tied to equities, a major AI-driven drawdown could create a negative wealth effect, fueling a bear market in stocks and risk assets while pushing investors toward safe havens amid a weakening economy.

Also, click here to view the full article published in S&P Global on September 3rd, 2025. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

If you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

To strengthen your market knowledge take a free trial of The Sevens Report.

Join hundreds of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

Jobs Report Preview

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Jobs Report Preview

Futures are slightly higher despite underwhelming earnings and mixed economic data overnight.

Salesforce (CRM) guidance was underwhelming and the stock is down –7% pre-market, adding to pressure on tech.

Economically, UK retail sales missed estimates (-0.5% vs. (E) -0.1%) but that’s not moving markets.

Today focus will be on two of the three remaining important events of the week:  The ISM Services PMI (E: 50.5) and Broadcom (AVGO) earnings after the close.  Ideally, markets will want to see the ISM Services PMI move higher and not drop below 50, while strong AVGO earnings ($1.35) and guidance will help push back on some of the recent tech sector weakness that’s been a headwind for the S&P 500.

Other notable events today include ADP Employment (E: 68K), Jobless Claims (E: 232K) and two Fed speakers: Williams (12:05 p.m. ET) and Goolsbee (7:00 p.m. ET).  Broadly speaking, the stronger the two employment reports and the more dovish the Fed speakers, the better for this market.

Finally, other earnings today include LULU ($2.84) and DOCU ($0.23).

 

How the “Degenerate Economy” Can Help Us Navigate This Market

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • How the Degenerate Economy Can Help Us Navigate This Market
  • ISM Manufacturing PMI Takeaways

U.S. stock futures are solidly higher this morning, led by tech shares with GOOGL up 6%+ after a favorable court ruling saw the company avoid severe antitrust penalties while international stocks were mixed as bonds steadied in the wake of an early week spike in yields.

Economically, the final Eurozone Composite PMI fell to 51.0 vs. (E) 51.1 in August due to a weak Services index revision but the data is not materially moving markets focused on renewed tech sector strength this morning.

Today, focus will be on economic data early as jobs week kicks off the July JOLTS report (E: 7.375 million) while Factory Orders data from July will also be released mid-morning (E: -1.4%).

There are two Fed speakers today: Musalem (9:00 a.m. ET) and Kashkari (1:30 p.m. ET). As far as stocks are concerned the more dovish their tone, the better as investors are pricing in a September rate cut with a high degree of certainty.

Finally, late seasons earnings continue to be released with quarterly reports from DLTR ($0.38), HPE ($0.36), M ($0.19), CPB ($0.57), CRM ($2.12), AEO ($0.20), and AI (-$0.81) all due out today.

 

Tom Essaye Interviewed on Yahoo Finance as the Fed Faces Twin Pressures

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Tom Essaye: Fed Faces Twin Pressures of Rising Inflation and Weakening Jobs

Fed is in the ‘worst possible’ position, analyst says

Central bank policy outlook grows more complicated heading into fall

The Federal Reserve is under mounting pressure as inflation shows signs of picking up while the labor market begins to soften, according to Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research.

Speaking on Opening Bid, Essaye explained that this combination leaves the Fed in a difficult policy position heading into the fall. The central bank must balance the risk of tightening too little against the danger of tightening too much at a time when economic growth is already showing cracks.

“The Fed is caught between two mandates,” Essaye noted, adding that rising producer and consumer price data alongside weakening job gains increases the likelihood of a policy dilemma in the coming months.

Also, click here to view the full video on Yahoo Finance published on August 30th, 2025. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

If you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

To strengthen your market knowledge take a free trial of The Sevens Report.

Join hundreds of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

Tom Essaye: Ethereum’s Outperformance Over Bitcoin Carries Equity Market Signals

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ETH/BTC rallies have historically preceded stock market peaks

Bitcoin Vs. Ethereum: Why I’m Closely Watching Their Trading Relationship

Since early July, a noteworthy shift has emerged in the crypto space, with Ethereum meaningfully outperforming Bitcoin, according to Tom Essaye, president of Sevens Report Research. The long-ETH/short-BTC trade has accelerated rapidly as both cryptocurrencies surged toward record highs.

At first glance, investors might dismiss the move as noise. But Essaye noted that past accelerations in the ETH/BTC ratio often aligned with powerful equity rallies that eventually gave way to broader market peaks.

“In prior cases over the last 10 or so years, every time we have seen such a robust and pronounced rise in the ETH/BTC crypto-pair, stocks have been sprinting higher in lockstep,” Essaye said. However, he cautioned that once the momentum faded from those rallies, equity investors who did not raise their guard often faced sharp pullbacks.

Bottom line: While the latest ETH/BTC surge reflects strong demand for Ethereum, it may also serve as an early warning indicator for stock markets if the historical relationship holds true.

Also, click here to view the full article on Moneyshow.com published on September 29th, 2025. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

If you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

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Three Key Market Variables to Watch

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Three Key Market Variables to Watch
  • Thoughts on the Appellate Court Decision (Why It’s Not a Positive for Stocks)
  • Weekly Economic Preview: “The Big Three” Reports Are Due This Week

U.S. stock futures are tracking global equity markets lower this morning as bond yields rise and gold hit fresh record highs amid a fresh sense of macroeconomic uncertainty.

Economically, the EU’s Narrow Core HICP Flash (CPI equivalent) held steady at 2.3% vs. (E) 2.2% in August which was not a big “miss” but is continuing to keep inflation worries elevated.

Looking into today’s session, there are no Fed officials scheduled to speak but two economic reports to watch with the ISM Manufacturing PMI (E: 48.7) and Construction Spending (E: +0.1%) data both due to be released.

Additionally, the Treasury will hold 6-Week, 3-Month, 6-Month and 52-Week Bill auctions simultaneously at 11:30 a.m. ET. The wide range of Bill durations being auctions could shed fresh light on the market’s outlook for Fed policy between now and yearend as well as H1’26.

Finally, some late season earnings continue to be released with quarterly reports due from both ZS (-$0.02 and SIG ($1.21) today.

Bottom line, if economic data is “Goldilocks” and supports the case for a soft-landing and Treasury auctions go smoothly (healthy demand), pointing to a September Fed rate cut, equities could recover early losses as focus turns to labor market data due out later in the week. If not, we could see a volatile start to September today, but follow-through selling is unlikely ahead of the key jobs report Friday.

 

Tom Essaye: Rising ETH/BTC Ratio Could Signal Stock Market Volatility

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Tom Essaye: Rising ETH/BTC Ratio Could Signal Stock Market Volatility

Why the S&P 500 could be at risk of a 10% to 20% pullback if ether falls behind bitcoin again

History suggests that a resurgence by Bitcoin in which it underperforms Ethereum could be a warning sign that stock-market volatility is about to increase, with the S&P 500 potentially facing a decline of 10% to 20%, according to Tom Essaye, founder and president of Sevens Report Research.

Since early July, Ether has outpaced Bitcoin by a wide margin, rising 44% compared with Bitcoin’s 4% gain after trailing the world’s largest cryptocurrency for months. Historically, a rising ETH/BTC ratio has often coincided with sharp, short-lived rallies in equities that eventually gave way to market peaks, Essaye wrote in a Thursday note.

“In the last 10 or so years, every time we have seen such a robust and pronounced rise in the ETH/BTC crypto-pair, stocks have been sprinting higher in lockstep,” Essaye said. Strong bursts in ETH/BTC have historically lined up with important turning points in equities, among them the “low-volatility” rally of 2017 that preceded the 2018 selloffs, the spike in late 2019 ahead of the 2020 pandemic crash, and the 2021 rally that gave way to the 2022 bear market, he noted.

The ETH/BTC ratio has also surged 130% from its five-year low in April this year, moving in step with the strong tech-led rebound in stocks from their early April 2025 lows, Essaye added.

The one exception came in 2023 and 2024, when Bitcoin consistently outperformed Ether even as stocks remained strong, a departure from the earlier pattern. That contrast makes the current setup especially notable. With ETH/BTC rising again, investors should watch closely in case the historical relationship reasserts itself, Essaye said.

On Aug. 24, the ETH/BTC ratio touched 0.043, its highest level since September 2024, according to FactSet. Ether has gained 38.5% year to date, including a 75.9% surge in the past three months, compared with Bitcoin’s 20.3% year-to-date rise and 6.3% gain over the past three months.

“The risk of the long-ETH/short-BTC trade becoming exhausted appears underappreciated,” Essaye warned, pointing to signs that the momentum has slowed. The uptrend in place since August could soon be tested from the technical perspective, he added.

Also, click here to view the full article published in MarketWatch on August 28th, 2025. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

If you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

To strengthen your market knowledge take a free trial of The Sevens Report.

Join hundreds of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

Sevens Report: Ethereum’s Rally vs. Bitcoin Raises Red Flags

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ETH/BTC rallies have historically aligned with equity blowoff tops

Why the long-ETH/short-BTC trade matters

According to the latest Sevens Report, Ethereum has “meaningfully outperformed Bitcoin with the Long-ETH/Short-BTC trade accelerating rapidly as both cryptos surged towards record highs.” While many traditional investors might dismiss the shift, Sevens emphasized that “there is a key underlying takeaway sourced in cross-asset analysis.”

Historically, sharp ETH/BTC rallies have coincided with “squeezy yet powerful rallies in equity markets preceding near-term blowoff tops.” Examples include the 2017 ETH/BTC surge ahead of the 2018 equity drawdown, a 2020 spike before the pandemic selloff, and a 2021 rally that foreshadowed the “Double Bear Market” of 2022.

Sevens noted that the latest 130% ETH/BTC rally off April lows “has obviously coincided with the resilient tech-led rally in stocks off the 2025 lows.” Unlike 2023–2024, when ETH lagged while equities climbed, the current setup suggests stocks may be vulnerable if crypto momentum fades.

“Bottom line, in prior cases over the last 10 years, every time we have seen such a robust and pronounced rise in the ETH/BTC crypto-pair, stocks have been sprinting higher in lockstep. However, once the upside momentum faded from ETH/BTC rally, it would have been prudent for equity investors to put their guard up,” Sevens concluded.

Also, click here to view the full article on Yahoo Finance published on August 28th, 2025. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

If you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

To strengthen your market knowledge take a free trial of The Sevens Report.

Join hundreds of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.