What the U.S./China Trade Deal Means for Markets

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What the U.S./China Trade Deal Means for Markets
  • Weekly Market Preview (All About Earnings)
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet (Important Growth Data This Week)

Futures are modestly lower following reports that China wants “more talks” before signing phase one of Friday’s “deal.”

More broadly, there is some disappointment with Friday’s announcement as it does not provide material tariff relief or trade clarity (more on that in the issue).

Economically, Chinese exports missed estimates falling –3.2% vs. (E) -3.0% and that’s also weighing on sentiment as markets still need global growth to stabilize.

Today is the Columbus Day holiday so there are no economic reports or Fed speakers while banks and the bond markets are closed.  Given that, we can expect any U.S./China trade related headlines to again drive markets until the focus shifts to earnings tomorrow.

Trade Truce

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Is A Trade Truce a Bullish Gamechanger?  No.  Here’s Why.

It’s green on the screen and futures are 1% higher as optimism for a U.S./China trade truce surged after the close.

President Trump said talks went “very well” yesterday and will meet Liu He in the White House at 2:45 p.m. today and a trade “truce” with no more additional tariffs is expected.

Economically, the only notable number was German CPI, which met expectations at 1.2% yoy.

Markets will be focused on any trade headlines as that’s clearly the most important topic today.  From a timing standpoint, I’d expect some sort of announcement on the outcome of the negotiations between lunchtime and the close, as Trump is meeting with He at 2:45 p.m.  At this point, a trade truce with some elimination of pending tariff increases is fully expected and anything less would be a disappointment.

Away from trade, we get Import & Export Prices (E: -0.1%, 0.0%) as well as Consumer Sentiment (E: 92.0), but unless the later is very bad, neither number should move markets.  There are also several Fed speakers today including Kashkari (8:00 a.m. ET), Rosengren (1:15 p.m. ET) and Kaplan (3:00 p.m. ET) but none of them should move markets.

Tom Essaye Interviewed with TD Ameritrade Network on October 10, 2019

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Tom Essaye Interviewed with TD Ameritrade Network on October 10, 2019, discussing the upcoming U.S.-China trade negotiations, stock market, what will be the effects of no trade truce, sectors that will benefit with tariff reductions and more…Watch the full interview here.

Tom Essaye Interviewing with Oliver Renick

If There’s No Trade Deal Should We Rotate to Value?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • If There’s No U.S./China Trade Deal, Should We Rotate to Value?  No.  Here’s Why.
  • EIA/Oil Market Update

Futures are flat following conflicting U.S./China trade headlines as the “noise” on this topic reaches a peak as senior-level talks begin today.

Positively, the Trump administration appears ready to grant permanent waivers for U.S. companies to send non-sensitive components to Huawei.

Negatively, the South China Morning Post said the lower-level talks earlier this week didn’t go well.

The U.S./China headlines will dominate markets today and tomorrow.  Broadly speaking, a trade “truce” that results in no more additional tariffs (and hopefully removes the tariffs expected to go into effect) is still the market expectation.  Regarding the conflicting headlines, the easiest way to cut through the noise is this: If the Chinese delegation leaves before Friday night, that’s bad.  If they leave after, that’s good.

Tom Essaye Quoted in CNBC on October 8, 2019

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Senator Warren has been a vocal – and frequent – critic of not only banks but large corporations more broadly. Looking at the potential economic impact of a Warren presidency on the broader market, Sevens Report founder Tom Essaye wrote that “it is a very reasonable statement that if Warren were elected…it would be negative for the stock market in the extreme.” Click here to read the full article.

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Tyler Richey Quoted in MarketWatch on October 8, 2019

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“The rising tensions between the U.S. and China over the last 24 hours has resulted in a broad risk-off move. Oil is being dragged down with stocks and other assets sensitive to global growth expectations, which continue to fall under pressure…” said Tyler Richey, co-editor at Sevens Report Research. Click here to read the full article.

Oil Rig

Tom Essaye Quoted in CNBC on October 8, 2019

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“The U.S.-China trade talks are the clear highlight this week. Some sort of a trade truce that results in no more new tariffs is the clear market expectation. If that does not occur, this market is at…” said Tom Essaye, founder of The Sevens Report. Click here to read the full article.

Stock trader

Trade Meeting Preview (Good, Bad, Ugly)

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • U.S.-China Trade Talks: Good/Bad/Ugly (and Best)

S&P 500 futures jumped as much as 1.4% in early morning trade after Bloomberg reported that China is willing to discuss a “partial U.S. trade deal despite tech blacklist.”

The risk-on rally has faded moderately however as the article pointed out that Chinese officials are not optimistic and would only accept a partial deal if the next waves of U.S. tariffs are canceled.

Furthermore, China is willing to make non-core concessions like ramping up purchases of U.S. ag products but won’t budge on key issues like intellectual property theft, issues which the White House has said are critical to a deal.

The trade war will clearly continue to dominate the markets today as we have already seen in the sizeable pre-market moves however there are a few additional potential catalysts to keep an eye on.

Economically, the August JOLTS report will be released shortly after the Wall Street open (E: 7.181M) while Powell and George are scheduled to speak at 11:00 a.m. ET (note Powell did move markets yesterday by mentioning balance sheet expansion).

In the afternoon, there is a 10-Yr Treasury Note Auction at 1:00 p.m. ET which could move the yield curve and ultimately the stock market before the FOMC Meeting Minutes will print at 2:00 p.m. ET.

A Warren Presidency and Markets

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What Would a Warren Presidency Mean for Markets?

Stock futures reversed from overnight gains and are now decidedly lower with EU shares after the Trump administration expanded its “blacklist” to 20 Chinese companies and Chinese officials said to “stay tuned” for retaliatory measures.

Economically, the Chinese Composite PMI firmed to a multi-month high of 51.9 last month (although the services component was mildly underwhelming) and German Industrial Production was not as bad as feared (0.3% vs. E: -0.1%), while the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index was inline.

Today, there is one economic report to watch in the morning: PPI (E: 0.1%) and then the Treasury will hold a 3-Yr Note Auction at 1:00 p.m. ET (auctions have had an impact on the yield curve recently and as a result, moved markets).

Later in the day, there are a few notable Fed speakers: Evans (1:35 p.m. ET), Powell (1:50 p.m. ET), and Kashkari (5:00 p.m. ET), and while investors will watch Powell’s speech closely, the main influence on markets remains the trade war this week and as such, traders will continue to be most sensitive to any further developments or statements released by the White House or Beijing.

Is It Too Late for a Trade Truce?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Is It Too Late for a Trade Truce?
  • Weekly Market Preview (All About U.S./China trade)
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet

Futures are modestly lower on digestion following Friday’s big rally, although there was also more soft economic data and a slightly negative U.S./China trade article.

German Manufacturers’ Orders missed expectations, falling -0.6% vs. (E) -0.4% and it’s yet another disappointing global manufacturing datapoint.

A Bloomberg article Sunday afternoon was a mild negative as it lowered expectations for a broad trade deal at this week’s talks, but there was no new news revealed.  To that point, we need to all brace for an avalanche of U.S./China trade headlines as we approach the Thursday start of senior-level talks, but cutting past the noise, the expectation is for a “Trade Truce” so anything that contradicts that expectation will be a negative for markets.

Today there is no notable economic data and two Fed speakers: Kashkari (10:20 a.m. ET) and Powell (1:00 p.m. ET).  Powell is clearly the more important of the two, but he’s giving opening remarks at a movie screening about the Fed (seriously) so I don’t think he’ll say anything market moving.