Did Things Get Better Last Week?

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Bottom Line: Did Things Get Better Last Week?

Stock futures are in the red this morning and international markets were mostly lower overnight thanks to on-going trade tensions and more political drama in Europe.

The latest set of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods went into effect over the weekend as expected however there were no updates regarding this month’s scheduled trade talks which is weighing on risk assets this morning.

Brexit concerns continue to simmer as the odds of a no-deal exit from the EU creep higher ahead of the October deadline but for now, the situation is largely isolated to Europe and not having a significant impact on U.S. equity markets.

Economic data was mixed overnight but there were no material, market moving surprises.

Today, there are two economic reports to watch: ISM/PMI Manufacturing Indexes (E: 49.9) and Construction Spending (E: 0.3%) while the Fed’s Rosengren is scheduled to speak shortly after the close (5:00 p.m. ET).

Investor focus will primarily remain on the trade war however, so any positive headlines regarding the planned, in-person negotiations this month will be well received while a continued lack of clarity on the topic will be a headwind for stocks.