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Does Dow Theory Outperform? (Yes)

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • A Good Question on Dow Theory Returns Over the Years

Stock futures are little changed this morning while bond yields are moving higher with the 2-Yr Note yield notably trading above 4% as banking fears continue to ease although markets still remain on edge.

There were no market moving economic reports overnight and news wires were generally quiet.

Looking into today’s session, there are several economic reports due to be released in the U.S. including: International Trade in Goods (E: -$90.0B), Case-Shiller Home Price Index (E: 3.7%), FHFA House Price Index (E: -0.2%), and Consumer Confidence (E: 101.0).

Shortly after the open, the Fed’s Barr will testify before the Senate beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET regarding the recent banking turmoil and state of the financial industry. Any negative comments or developments during the testimony that weighs on bank shares will very likely drag down the broader market.

Looking to the afternoon, there is a 5-Yr Treasury Note auction at 1:00 p.m. ET that could impact the broader bond market and move stocks.

Fed Wildcard to Watch

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Dynamics Between Stocks, Bonds, and the Economy Have Changed Since Covid
  • Fed Wildcard to Watch Today
  • KBE Chart – Visualizing the Recent Carnage
  • Existing Home Sales Rebound Amid a Pullback in Mortgage Rates: Chart

Stock futures briefly spiked lower overnight in the wake of a hot CPI print in the U.K. but bond markets are steady and futures have largely stabilized as focus turns to the Fed.

Economically, U.K. CPI jumped from 10.1% in January to 10.4% in February, well ahead of estimates of 9.9%, however, both input and output PPI readings unexpectedly declined, easing some of the inflation worries this morning.

There are no notable economic reports today which will leave markets focused on the price action in the banking sector in the morning (meaningful weakness could drag the broader market lower) before attention shifts to the FOMC Meeting Announcement (2:00 p.m. ET) and Fed Chair Press Conference (2:30 p.m. ET) this afternoon.

A 25 basis point hike and no change to the dot plot is the consensus expectation but there are a lot of moving pieces to today’s meeting so watching the reaction from the Treasury market this afternoon will be critical in interpreting what today’s decision means for markets.

Market Multiple Levels: S&P 500 Chart

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Market Multiple Levels: S&P 500 Chart (Printable/Shareable PDF Available)
  • NY Fed Inflation Expectations Data Takeaways
  • Key Levels to Watch Today in the Dollar and Treasuries

Stock futures are modestly higher thanks to good economic data overnight as traders await today’s U.S. CPI report and more Fed speak.

Economically, the U.K.’s Unemployment Rate held steady below 4% but wage growth favorably slowed to 5.9% in January from 6.5% in December.

Meanwhile the NFIB Small Business Optimistic Index in the U.S. met estimates at 90.3 which saw S&P 500 futures hit new pre-market highs at the top of the 6:00 a.m. hour ET.

Today, focus will be on economic data early with CPI (E: 0.5% m/m, 6.2% y/y) and Core CPI (E: 0.3% m/m, 5.5% y/y) due out before the opening bell. Cooling inflation pressures have largely been priced in recently so a low print could see stocks add to YTD gains, but the risk is for a hot print to spark a significant wave of selling amid further hawkish shifting money flows across asset classes.

Moving through the day, there are three Fed speakers to watch: Logan (11:00 a.m. ET), Harker (1:00 p.m. ET), and Williams (2:05 p.m. ET) and they will all likely echo the hawkish tone coming from other Fed officials recently but their comments should not have a major impact on markets.

Earnings season is winding down but a few notable companies reporting today include: KO ($0.45), MAR ($1.84), ABNB ($0.27).

FOMC Meeting Preview

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • FOMC Preview
  • VIX Chart – Is Volatility About to Surge Again?

U.S. stock futures are tracking European markets lower this morning amid a hawkish reaction to strong economic data and disappointing earnings from UBS and Samsung.

Economic data in Europe showed a reversal back higher in French inflation and better than-feared growth in the EU which is resulting in more hawkish money flows ahead of the several key central bank decisions this week and that is ultimately weighing on risk assets this morning.

Looking into today’s session, there are a few economic reports to watch in the U.S. (in order of importance): Q4 Employment Cost Index (E: 1.1%), Consumer Confidence (E: 109.0), Chicago PMI (E: 45.1), and the Case-Shiller Home Price Index (E: -0.5%).

With the FOMC Meeting getting underway, the macro focus will be on rate markets and expectations for the terminal rate as tomorrow’s 25 basis point hike is priced in with nearly 100% confidence. If market-based terminal rate expectations rise today, expect further pressure on risk assets and lower equity prices broadly.

Meanwhile, earnings season continues in full force today with notable releases coming from: UPS ($3.58), GM ($1.65), XOM ($3.32), MCD ($2.45), CAT ($3.95), and AMD ($0.67).

CPI Day and FOMC Preview

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • FOMC Preview
  • CPI Preview (Abbreviated Version)
  • Chart – NY Fed Survey Inflation Expectations Fall Sharply

Stock futures are extending yesterday’s gains as traders await today’s CPI report amid mixed news from overnight.

In China, a $143B stimulus package aimed at the semiconductor industry helped offset the delay of an economic/Covid policy meeting due to a surge in Covid cases.

Economic data was mixed overnight but there were no surprises material enough to derail the tentative pre-CPI rally this morning.

Today, traders will be keenly focused on the November CPI report at 8:30 a.m. ET with the headline expected to come in at 0.3% M/M and 7.3% Y/Y while the Core figure is expected to be 0.4% M/M and 6.1% Y/Y. Bottom line, a print below 7.3% on the headline and below 6.1% in the core figure will be well received by investors but an upside miss in either could trigger a sharp reversal of this most recent move higher in the broader stock market.

Once markets digest the CPI report, money flows are likely to take on a positioning tone with tomorrow’s Fed decision looming and a limited list of catalysts for the remainder of the day. There is a 30-Yr Treasury Bond auction at 1:00 p.m. ET that could move rates and have a mild impact on stocks.

Tom Essaye Quoted in CNBC on December 7th, 2022

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Bond yields fall as Wall Street worries about higher Fed rates

“Bottom line, the economic outlook is turning for the worse (outside of the labor market) and if that continues, it will support the long end of the curve,” wrote Tom Essaye of the Sevens Report. Click here to read the full article.

A Make of Break Week for Stocks and Bonds

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • A Make or Break Week for Stocks and Bonds
  • CPI Preview:  Good, Bad & Ugly
  • Weekly Market Preview:  Year-End Rally?
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  Fed Decision Wednesday and CPI Tomorrow are the key events.

Futures are slightly higher as China continues to remove COVID restrictions.  The rest of the weekend was quiet from a macroeconomic perspective.

China announced it will deactivate its COVID tracking app in the latest signal that it is gradually abandoning the “Zero COVID” policy.

Economically, reports were sparse but UK Industrial Production (0.7% vs. (E) 0.0%) and Monthly GDP (0.5% vs. (E) 0.4%) both beat expectations.

Today the economic calendar is quiet and trading should be also, as markets look ahead to the week’s key events tomorrow (CPI) and Wednesday (FOMC Decision).

 

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Was Bullard That Hawkish? (No)

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Was Bullard That Hawkish?  (No).

Futures are moderately higher following more geo-political progress amidst an otherwise quiet night.

Russian officials signaled they are open to high-level talks with the U.S. on strategic stability, which is being taken as another (small) step towards an ultimate cease-fire.

Economically, the only notable number was UK Retail Sales and they were better than expected, rising 0.6% vs. (E) 0.2%.

Today the calendar is sparse with just Existing Home Sales (E: 4.360M) and one Fed speaker, Collins (8:40 a.m. ET) but if she doesn’t provide any hawkish surprises, this early rally can continue as stocks recoup yesterday’s Bullard inspired losses.

Incremental Positive Developments

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Bottom Line – Incremental Positive Developments, But Not Enough for a Bottom
  • Industrial Production Takeaways
  • Chart: 5-Yr Breakevens Continue to Trend Lower Amid Confidence in the Fed
  • Housing Market Index Underscores Cooling Real Estate Market

Futures are slightly higher in more cautious trade this morning as strong earnings from NFLX (+14%)  and UAL (+3%) are helping offset hot inflation data overseas.

UK CPI rose 0.2% to 10.1% vs. (E) 10.0%, revisiting a 40-year high which is bringing inflation back into focus today.

From a catalyst standpoint, there is one economic report to watch today: Housing Starts (1.475M), and two Fed speakers to watch: Kashkari (1:00 p.m. ET) and Evans (6:30 p.m. ET).

There is also a 20-Yr Treasury Bond Auction at 1:00 p.m. ET. If yields rise in the wake of the auction, that could once again weigh on equities.

Finally, earnings continue with: ALLY ($1.73), PG ($1.55), CFG ($1.21), and WGO ($2.99) reporting ahead of the bell, and TSLA ($1.01), IBM ($1.78), AA ($0.09), and PPG ($1.67) releasing their results after the bell.

Bottom line, there have been some incremental fundamental positives that have helped support the relief rally in stocks this week, and if fixed-income markets can remain orderly and earnings continue to surprise to the upside, the S&P 500 could continue towards 3,800 or beyond today.

Market Multiple Table Chart

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Market Multiple Table Chart
  • CPI Preview:  Good Bad and Ugly

Futures are slightly higher ahead of this morning’s CPI as reports suggest UK PM Truss will have to abandon more of her fiscal spending and tax cut plan.

Positively, conservative members of Parliament continued to push back against PM Truss’s fiscal plan and that’s helping the Pound rally and GILT yields to decline.

Negatively, Chinese authorities are reimposing some restrictions in Shanghai as COVID cases rise and as Chinese officials hold on to the “Zero COVID” policy.

Focus today will be on CPI and estimates are as follows: Headline: 0.2% m/m and 8.1% y/y. Core:  0.4% m/m and 6.5% y/y.  For CPI to spark a material rally, markets will want to see outright declines in CPI (so less than 8.1% and 6.3% respectively).  Conversely, year over year CPI coming in higher than September readings will reinforce the idea that inflation is not declining, and the market is a long, long way from a Fed pivot.  The other notable report today is Jobless Claims (E: 225K) but that shouldn’t move markets.