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If inflation surprises to the upside then that will pressure yields and stocks

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Markets are counting on inflation to stay subdued: Sevens Report President, Tom Essaye Quoted in MarketWatch

What’s up with inflation? PCE likely to show a small rise in prices despite tariffs.

“Markets are counting on inflation to stay subdued to keep expectations for two rates cuts in 2025 intact,” wrote Tom Essaye of Sevens Report Research. “If inflation surprises to the upside — which is unlikely given CPI and PPI were light — then that will push yields higher and pressure stocks.”

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article, published on June 26th, 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.

What Would Make Markets Care About the Israel-Iran Conflict?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What Would Make Markets Care About the Israel-Iran Conflict?
  • June Flash PMI Takeaways

U.S. equity futures are tracking global shares higher after President Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, greatly reducing geopolitical worries.

Economically, the Business Expectations component of the German Ifo Survey rose to 90.7 vs. (E) 89.8 in June which is adding to optimism that a recession will be avoided in most developed nations in 2025.

Looking into today’s session, there are multiple economic reports due to be released including the Case-Shiller Home Price Index (E: 4.0%), FHFA House Price Index (E: 0.1%), Consumer Confidence (E: 99.0), and Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index (E: -7.0).

There are also multiple Fed speakers on the calendar to watch with Hammack (9:15 & 10:15 a.m. ET), Powell (10:00 a.m. ET), Williams (12:30 p.m. ET),  and Collins (2:05 p.m. ET) all due to deliver remarks today.

Finally, some noteworthy earnings releases to keep an eye on include CCL ($0.24), SNX ($2.56), FDX ($5.93), and BB ($0.00).

Bottom line, the two most important catalysts to watch today will be the Consumer Confidence release with investors looking for a healthy/better than expected headline and easing inflation expectations, and Powell’s Humphrey-Hawkins testimony on Capitol Hill as investors gauge the prospects for a July rate cut (the more dovish expectations are, the better for stocks).

Stocks Rebound as Middle East Risks Stay Contained, Says Sevens Report

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It’s unlikely to materially impact the markets: Sevens Report President, Tom Essaye, Quoted in Xinhua

U.S. stocks rebound as investors brush off Middle East tensions

GEOPOLITICAL FEARS FADE AS FUNDAMENTALS AND POSITIONING SUPPORT RISK

U.S. stocks bounced back Friday as investors looked past Middle East tensions, driven by historically low equity positioning and resilient fundamentals.

According to Tom Essaye, founder of The Sevens Report, markets are focused on geopolitical headlines, but remain stable as long as conflict stays limited.

“Focus will remain on geopolitical headlines, but as long as the conflict stays limited between Israel and Iran, it’s unlikely to materially impact the markets.”
— Tom Essaye, Sevens Report

So far, the restraint in global escalation is giving risk appetite a chance to reemerge—but markets remain sensitive to any broadening of the conflict.

Also, click here to view the full Xinhua article, published on June 17th, 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.

The Markets focus will remain on geopolitical headlines

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Focus will remain on geopolitical headlines: Sevens Report President, Tom Essaye, Quoted in Gulfnews.com

Oil rises, US futures drop on Trump Tehran warning: Markets wrap

“Focus will remain on geopolitical headlines, but as long as the conflict stays limited between Israel and Iran, it’s unlikely to materially impact the markets,” said Tom Essaye at The Sevens Report.

Also, click here to view the full article, published on June 17th, 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.

FOMC Technical Preview

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • FOMC Technical Preview
  • Retail Sales Data Takeaways – Signs of Weakness in Consumer Spending

Futures are higher as investors continue to monitor the geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and digest largely as expected European inflation data ahead of the Fed.

Economically, Eurozone HICP fell to 1.9% from 2.2%, as expected, while UK CPI edged down to 3.4% vs. (E) 3.5% which is supporting a bid in the global bond market with yields falling moderately in premarket trade.

Today, there are two economic reports to watch: Jobless Claims (E: 244K) which come a day early, and Housing Starts and Permits (E: 1.360M, 1.430M). Another sharp rise in jobless claims could bolster concerns about the health of the labor market but a big reaction from markets is unlikely given the looming Fed decision.

Speaking of which, the primary focus of today’s session will be the FOMC Announcement (2:00 p.m. ET) and Fed Chair Powell’s press conference (2:30 p.m. ET) as investors look for clarity on the future path of monetary policy.

There are two late season earnings releases to watch as well: ACB ($0.11) and KFY  ($1.25) but with the Fed in focus, neither should materially move markets today.

FOMC Meeting Preview

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • FOMC Preview
  • Empire State Manufacturing Survey Takeaways

Futures are lower amid an elevated sense of market uncertainty after President Trump left the G-7 summit early as tensions between Israel and Iran remain elevated.

Economically, Economic Sentiment within the latest German ZEW Survey rose from 25.2 to 47.5 vs. (E) 31.3, however European stocks are trading with a heavy tone amid the elevated geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Today, there are several noteworthy economic reports to watch including: Retail Sales (E: -0.6%), Import & Export Prices (E: -0.3%, -0.1%),  Industrial Production (E: 0.1%), Business Inventories (E: 0.0%), and the Housing Market Index (E: 36).

Beyond the economic data, the June FOMC meeting gets underway today which should prompt a sense of “Fed paralysis” as investors await clarity on the future path of monetary policy.

Finally, there are two late-season earnings releases to watch: JBL ($2.15) and LZB ($0.93) but neither should move the broad markets as focus shifts to the Fed decision.

Why markets appear relatively immune to the negative headlines

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Why markets appear relatively immune to the negative headlines: Sevens Report President, Tom Essaye Quoted in MarketWatch

Why markets are ignoring scary headlines about Iran, trade wars and U.S. debt

Strategist Tom Essaye explained why markets appear relatively immune to the negative headlines in the Sevens Report, his daily market-strategy note.

However, Iran’s military capabilities have been so degraded, Essaye wrote, that Tehran’s ability to respond to Israel’s missile strikes and to counter its overall military superiority is severely inhibited.

According to Essaye, tariff fatigue has caused complacency to set in. There are too many headlines and deadlines for the average investor to follow accurately, and markets now routinely dismiss Trump’s ultimatums as bluff and bluster, as evidenced by the recent coinage “TACO,” or “Trump Always Chickens Out.”

The next significant deadline is July 9, the end of the 90-day pause in the imposition of Trump’s tariffs, and at that time markets may well reassess their current phlegmatic approach. Right now, however, Essaye believes that “markets are so [convinced about] TACO that it’s going to take a sustained tariff increase to shake the belief.”

After recently piercing the 5% level, though, 30-year Treasury bonds have rallied, implying that investors are not yet sufficiently worried about the U.S. fiscal situation to sell off Treasury bonds aggressively, Essaye wrote.

“If the 10-year yield begins to creep towards and through 5.00%, that will be a signal that the global bond markets are starting to worry about the U.S. fiscal situation and at that point, markets will care about deficits and debt, a lot! (and we should expect stocks to be sharply lower),” he said.

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article, published on June 16th, 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.

Why Are Markets Ignoring Scary Headlines?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Are Markets Ignoring Scary Headlines?
  • Weekly Market Preview: Does the Fed Signal Rate Cuts Ahead?
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet: Is Consumer Spending Losing Momentum?

Futures are modestly higher as geopolitical risks didn’t rise substantially over the weekend while Chinese economic data was stronger than expected.

Geopolitically, the Israel/Iran conflict escalated as the two countries exchanged attacks over the weekend, but there are no signs it’s spiraling into a broader regional conflict and that’s keeping geopolitical concerns anchored.

Economically, Chinese retail sales rose 6.4% y/y vs. (E) 4.9%, pushing back on concerns of a dramatic slowdown.

Today focus will remain on geo-political headlines but as long as the conflict stays limited between Israel and Iran, it’s unlikely to materially impact the markets.  Outside of geopolitics, the notable report today is the June Empire Manufacturing Survey (-7.3) and markets will want to see stable data and declining prices (further pushing back on stagflation fears).

Bitcoin/Crypto Industry Update

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Bitcoin/Crypto Industry Update
  • Did TACO Just Quietly Break?

Futures are down sharply (more than 1%) following the large-scale Israeli missile attack on Iran.

Israel launched a massive missile attack on Iran overnight, targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and military leadership.

Market reaction was as expected as global stocks dropped (but not dramatically) and oil and gold rallied hard.

Looking forward, the main risk for markets is this conflict leads to a broader war in the Mid-East although, for now, those risks remain relatively low despite elevated tensions.

Today focus will be on geo-political headlines and any indication the conflict may drag in other nations will be an additional market negative.  Economically, the only notable number is the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment (E: 53.5) and if inflation expectations stay grounded (as they have been) it’ll be the third positive inflation report this week (and it could help stocks recover some of these early losses

Any materially positive or negative trade-talk headlines could meaningfully move markets

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Any materially positive or negative trade-talk headlines could meaningfully move markets: Sevens Report Founder, Tom Essaye Quoted in Swissinfo.ch

S&P 500 Gains as Lutnick Signals US-China Progress

“Any materially positive or negative trade-talk headlines out of London, where US and Chinese negotiations remain underway, could meaningfully move markets,” said Tom Essaye at The Sevens Report.

Also, click here to view the full article, published on June 10th, 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.