The Fed Pivot Has Already Occurred

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The Fed Pivot Has Already Occurred: Tom Essaye Quoted in MarketWatch

Here’s when falling bond yields might become a problem for stock-market bulls in 2024

Heading into 2024, the path of least resistance for Treasurys is for higher prices and lower yields (prices and yields move opposite each other), “although the decline in yields won’t be the boost for stocks in 2024 as it was in 2023, because if it keeps going and we see the 10-year yield break through support at 3.75% and keep dropping towards 3.00%, investors will interpret that as an economic warning sign now that the Fed pivot has already occurred,” said Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research, in a Friday note.

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article published on December 29th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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Important (and still undecided) Questions About Economic Growth

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Markets Have Priced In The Dovish Pivot: Tom Essaye Quoted in Blockworks

Bitcoin inches higher after outperforming stocks this year

“Looking forward, we can expect markets to get back to ‘normal’ next week as we start a new year and answer some pretty important (and still undecided) questions about economic growth, actual vs. expected Fed policy, and earnings,” Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research, said. 

Also, click here to view the full Blockworks article published on December 29th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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The Timing Of Rate Cuts Is A Big One

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Markets Have Priced In The Dovish Pivot: Tom Essaye Quoted in Yahoo Finance

3 important things pros say you should watch out for in the stock market for 2024

Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research: “I agree the timing of rate cuts is a big one that people are focused on, but there are two others I think are equally as important.

First is earnings. Reports recently haven’t been good, and if disinflation turns into a headwind for corporate profits, that could be a surprise in early 2024 because markets have priced in solid earnings growth in 2024.

Second, what if the slowdown is worse than feared? For anyone who has been through previous Fed rate cut cycles, they usually don’t end well for stocks. Yes, it’s possible that this time is different and I agree there are unique circumstances coming from the pandemic, but the complacency towards a gradual slowdown is something that we need to watch early in the New Year.”

Also, click here to view the full Yahoo Finance article published on December 29th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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Jobs Report Preview

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Jobs Report Preview

Futures are rebounding very slightly following better than expected global service PMIs.

The December Chinese Service PMI handily beat estimates (52.9 vs. (E) 51.6) offering an encouraging signal on Chinese growth while the EU and UK services PMIs also slightly best estimates.

On inflation, data was more mixed as French CPI met estimates at 3.7% but rose slightly from last month challenging the disinflation narrative.

Today focus will be on economic data and specifically the labor market via Jobless Claims (E: 218K) and the ADP Employment Report (E: 115K) and the key here remains Goldilocks data that isn’t so strong it reduces rate cut expectations nor so bad it stirs worries about the economy.  Also, we get the December PMI Composite Index (E: 51.0) but barring a major surprise that shouldn’t move markets.

Jobs Report

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All Of Us In The Markets Are In A Proverbial Canoe

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All Of Us In The Markets Are In A Proverbial Canoe: Tom Essaye Quoted in Courthouse News Service

Markets roar in 2023 as inflation ticks down and Fed eases rate hikes

Tom Essaye of the Sevens Report likened the market in 2023 to rough sailing. “I can’t help but feel as though all of us in the markets are in a proverbial canoe and the investing public is violently leaning to one side of the canoe and then the other, causing it to nearly tip each time,” he wrote in an investor’s note.

Essaye wrote that many believe the Fed will slash interest rates about six times next year, believing inflation will soon “go into some sort of freefall” and the S&P 500 may hit 5,000 points. “But I’ve been in this industry long enough to know that when everyone seems to be leaning on one side of the proverbial canoe, it pays to move to the middle,” he wrote.

Also, click here to view the full Courthouse News Service article published on December 29th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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The Market Is “Sitting On Big Gains”

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The Market Is “Sitting On Big Gains”: Tom Essaye Quoted on BNN Bloomberg

Markets today: AI mania driving Nasdaq 100’s best run since 1999

The market is “sitting on big gains” and most participants just want the year to end to register those gains, according to Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader who founded The Sevens Report newsletter.

“But I’ve been in this industry long enough to know that when everyone seems to be leaning on one side of the proverbial canoe, it pays to move to the middle.”

Warnings about a market that’s flashing overbought signals have been raising concern about a pullback, with some market observers saying that traders have gone too far, too fast in pricing in a dovish Fed pivot.

Also, click here to view the full BNN Bloomberg article published on December 27th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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Markets Have Priced In The Dovish Pivot

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Markets Have Priced In The Dovish Pivot: Tom Essaye Quoted on BNN Bloomberg

S&P 500 rally flashes signs of fatigue near record

“Markets have priced in the dovish pivot and stocks never discount the same news twice,” said Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader who founded The Sevens Report newsletter. “As we start 2024, markets will need to see new, positive catalysts to send the S&P 500 to new all-time highs.”

Also, click here to view the full BNN Bloomberg article published on December 26th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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Two Differences In 2024 That Could Be Negative For Equity Markets

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2 Differences In 2024: Sevens Report Analysts Quoted in Investing.com

Sevens Research sees 2 differences in 2024 that could be negative for equity markets

In its latest daily note, Sevens Report Research said there are two important differences for investors to consider in 2024.

“The market has priced in six Fed rate cuts and year-end 2024 fed funds below 4%,” analysts said.

“If we see the 10-year Treasury yield continue to fall to the low 3% or sub 3% range, that’s not going to be a major tailwind for stocks. Because that won’t be forecasting a dovish Fed, it’ll be forecasting slowing growth,” analysts explained. “And those falling yields will then become a harbinger of a potential economic slowdown and not the welcomed signal of a Fed that’s finally turning dovish.”

The second difference is that earnings results won’t have low expectations to excuse poor performance.

“Consensus S&P 500 earnings growth is nearly 10% year over year. Well above the longer-term averages of around 5%-ish annual growth. And keep in mind, at 4,800 the S&P 500 is trading over 19.5X that $245 earnings estimate, which means there’s little room for disappointment from a valuation perspective,” analysts explained. “Bottom line, ‘ok’ earnings won’t be good enough and we got a preview of that in the Q3 numbers.”

Also, click here to view the full Investing.com article published on December 27th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

 

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A Volatile Start to 2024, But Don’t Read Too Much Into It

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A Volatile Start to 2024, But Don’t Read Too Much Into It: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • A Volatile Start to 2024, But Don’t Read Too Much Into It
  • SPDR Reveals Nearly 5% Divergence Between Best and Worst Sectors Yesterday
  • Chart – S&P Global Manufacturing PMI Remains in Contraction Territory

Stock futures are modestly lower and Treasury yields are extending their early 2024 gains as some of the dominant money flows from late last year continue to unwind to start 2024.

Economically, Germany’s Unemployment Rate held steady, as expected, at 5.9% in December which is not moving markets.

Today, trader focus will be on two key economic reports in early trade with the ISM Manufacturing Index (E: 47.2) and JOLTS (E: 8.75 million) report both due out shortly after the opening bell. Motor Vehicle Sales (E: 15.4 million) will also be released today.

Additionally, there is one Fed speaker: Barkin (8:00 a.m. ET) that will be closely watched ahead of the release of the December FOMC Meeting Minutes this afternoon (2:00 p.m. ET).

Bottom line, start-of-year portfolio rebalancing is likely to continue to dominate the tape today, however, if economic data comes in “Goldilocks” and the Fed Minutes don’t derail the market’s dovish policy expectations for 2023, stocks and bonds should both be able to stabilize as calendar-driven volatility begins to subside.

A Volatile Start

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Five Optimistic Market Assumptions for 2024

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Five Optimistic Market Assumptions for 2024: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Weekly Market Preview – Five Market Assumptions to Know As We Start 2024
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet – Jobs Report in Focus

Futures are moderately lower to start 2024 amid concerns about China’s economy and rising geopolitical tensions.

Economically, China’s government-issued PMI fell to 49.0 vs. (E) 49.6 in December while President Xi Jinping made some cautious comments on the state of the economy over the weekend that has poured cold water on Asian markets to start the year.

In Europe, the December PMI rose to 44.4 vs. (E) 44.2 but still points to a factory sector deep in contraction which reiterates very real recession risks in the Eurozone in 2024.

Geopolitical tensions are pushing oil prices higher to start the new year after the U.S. Navy sunk three Iran-backed Houthi vessels in the Red Sea this weekend.

Looking into today’s session, the Final U.S. December Manufacturing PMI (E: 48.2) will be in focus this morning and traders will want to see stability in the data in order for stocks to start the new year with an extension of the 2023 rally.

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Market Assumptions

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