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Jobs Day Technical Preview & Wildcards to Watch

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Jobs Day Technical Preview & Wildcards to Watch: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Jobs Report Technical Preview – S&P 500, 10Y, Gold, VIX (Shareable PDF)
  • Two “Wildcard Scenarios” to Watch for Today
  • Initial Jobless Claims Show Signs of Bottoming: Chart

Futures are flat while international markets were mostly lower overnight as traders await the widely anticipated May jobs report to gauge the outlook for Fed policy.

Economically, Eurozone GDP met estimates in Q1 at 0.4% y/y, however wage growth accelerated to 5.1% y/y in Q1 vs. 4.9% in Q4 after the ECB lowered inflation forecasts yesterday. The “warming” wage inflation data raises concerns the ECB moved to cut rates too early.

Today, focus will be on the May BLS Employment Situation release at 8:30 a.m. ET with an estimated +188K Job Adds, 3.9% Unemployment Rate, and 3.9% Wage Growth. The market needs to see an inline number preferably with a modest downside surprise on wages in order for dovish money flows and soft-landing hopes to continue to drive stocks to new records.

There is also one Fed speaker mid-day today: Cook (12:00 p.m. ET) and Consumer Credit (E: $10.4B) will be released late in the day but neither should more markets with markets digesting the jobs report.

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There are only really three important weeks of earnings season

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There are only really three important weeks of earnings season: Sevens Report Editor, Tom Essaye, Quoted in Barron’s

Dow, S&P 500 Tick Higher

“There are only really three important weeks of earnings season, and Disney comes the week after it,” Sevens Report Research’s Tom Essaye told Barron’s. “It sort of puts a bow on earnings season, but it’s not like Disney is really that representative of the broader economy.”

“The global market has convinced themselves that that the [European Central Bank] and the BOE are going to cut in June,” Essaye says. “And if the Bank of England pushes back on that, I think could be a little bit of a negative surprise.”

Also, click here to view the full Barron’s article published on May 7th, 2024. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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Is Another Crash Imminent?

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Is Another Crash Imminent? Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Is Another Crash Imminent?
  • Chart – M2 Money Supply Still Up Massively Despite QT
  • The Recent Gold Rally and Inflation Expectations

Stock futures are rebounding modestly this morning amid further stabilization in the Treasury market as big tech earnings come into focus while economic data overseas disappointed overnight.

The Eurozone PMI Composite Flash came in at 46.5. vs. (E) 47.4 with a softer than expected Services sub-index which added to existing recession worries in the EU overnight. And that soft data is contributing to the steady bond market this morning.

Looking into the U.S. session, there is one economic report to watch: PMI Composite Flash (E: 49.4), and as has been the case, a release that supports a soft-landing scenario (easing growth and falling price measures) will support stocks while a “hot” report that sends yields back higher will be a negative.

There are no Fed speakers today but there is a “policy-sensitive” 2-Yr Treasury Note auction at 1:00 p.m. ET.  If demand is weak, that could put upward pressure on yields and reintroduce a headwind on equities and other risk assets as big tech earnings come into focus this week.

Earnings Update

Earnings season continues to ramp up this week with: KO ($0.69), VZ ($1.17), GE ($0.56), MMM ($2.34), and SYF ($1.44) reporting before the bell. While MSFT ($2.65), GOOGL ($1.45), and V ($2.23) will release results after the close.

Investors will want to see some better than expected results from the big tech names as they have been responsible for most of the 2023 stock market gains. Any disappointment will almost certainly mean new lows in the major indices this week.

Is Another Crash Imminent

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Tom Essaye Quoted in Yahoo Finance on August 22nd, 2023

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Stocks Fail to Catch a Bid Before Nvidia’s Results: Markets Wrap

The surge in US yields has been the primary reason stocks have declined over the past several weeks, with investors “pushing out” the date of expected rate cuts as they begin to accept the Fed may keep rates “higher for longer,” according to Tom Essaye, founder of “The Sevens Report” newsletter. “It’s not the height of rates that matters as much as how long they stay high,” Essaye noted. “If we see Powell hint at higher for longer on Friday, we will need to brace for more equity market volatility.”

Click here to read the full article.

Tom Essaye Quoted in Barron’s on June 5th, 2023

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Global Stocks Drift Higher Amid PMI Data

“Economically, global service PMIs were mixed as the euro zone service PMI missed expectations, while the U.K. and Chinese service PMIs were in-line,” noted Tom Essaye, the founder of Sevens Report Research. Click here to read the full article.

What Is Immaculate Disinflation, and Why Did It Cause Last Week’s Rally?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What Is Immaculate Disinflation, and Why Did It Cause Last Week’s Rally?
  • Weekly Market Preview:  Does Economic Data Stay Resilient?
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  Service Sector in Focus This Week

Futures are little changed as markets digest the Thursday/Friday rally amidst a mostly quiet weekend of news.

Oil prices are solidly higher (Brent crude up 1.7%) after Saudi Arabia announced a voluntary 1M bpd production cut for the next month, although that’s not seen as a sustainable bullish catalyst.

Economically, global service PMIs were mixed as the Euro Zone Service PMI missed expectations (55.1 vs. (E) 55.9) while the UK and Chinese service PMIs were in-line.

Today focus will be on the ISM Services Index (E: 52.0.) and specifically the price index in this report.  Last week, a sharp drop in the ISM Manufacturing PMI Prices Paid Index ignited the rally, and if we see a similar drop in the services price index, it’ll help extend the rally as markets will get more confident disinflation is accelerating.

Why A Soft Landing Is Still Good for Stocks

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why A Soft Landing Is Still Good for Stocks
  • EIA Analysis and Oil Market Update

S&P 500 futures are solidly higher while Nasdaq futures surge 2% thanks to blow out NVDA earnings.

NVDA beat on revenue and EPS and raised guidance on strong AI chip demand, and the stock surged more than 20% after hours.

Fitch put the U.S. on “credit watch negative” as the potential “X” date for the debt ceiling is less than a week away.

Today focus will be on any debt ceiling progress (although none is expected with the looming holiday weekend) and on economic data, and the most important report is Jobless Claims (E: 248K) and markets will want to see that number flat or just slightly higher (another big jump would increase hard landing worries).

Other data today includes Revised Q1 GDP (E: 1.1%) and Pending Home Sales (E: 1.1%), but neither number should move markets.  On the Fed, we have two speakers today, Barkin (9:50 a.m. ET) and Collins (10:30 a.m. ET), but neither should move markets.

Why Have Stocks Hit Multi-Month Highs?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Have Stocks Hit Multi-Month Highs?
  • Weekly Market Preview:  Real Debt Ceiling Progress is Needed This Week
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  Flash PMIs and Core PCE the Key Reports This Week

Futures are little changed despite a lack of progress on the debt ceiling and an increase in trade tensions between the U.S. and China over the weekend.

There was no progress on the debt ceiling over the weekend although Biden and McCarthy will meet again today to resume negotiations.

China banned the use of Micron (MU) chips in what is yet another escalation in U.S./China trade tensions.

Today focus will be on the debt ceiling and markets will want to hear positive and optimistic commentary from Biden and McCarthy, as the potential “X” date of June 1st is now less than 10 days away.

There are also multiple Fed speakers today, including Bullard (8:30 a.m. ET), Logan (9:00 a.m. ET), Barking & Bostic (10:50 a.m. ET) and Daly (11:05 a.m. ET), but given Powell on Friday reiterated the Fed has likely paused, their comments shouldn’t move markets.

What the Stronger Dollar Means for Markets

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What the Stronger Dollar Means for Markets

Futures are little changed following a quiet night of news as markets digest Thursday’s extension of the rally and as markets await comments from Fed Chair Powell later this morning.

Economically, the only notable numbers were Japanese CPI (met expectations at 3.5%) and German PPI (slightly hot at 4.1% vs. (E) 4.0%) but neither number changed the outlook for global inflation and, as such, aren’t moving markets.

Today there are no notable economic reports, but there are several important Fed speakers including Chair Powell (11:00 a.m. ET).  So far this week, markets have looked past hawkish commentary from regional Fed Presidents but if Powell hints that the Fed may hike rates in June, we could see some of this week’s rally given back.  Other Fed speakers today include Williams (8:45 a.m. ET) and Bowman (9:00 a.m. ET).

Why Home Depot Earnings Point to a Soft Landing

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Home Depot Earnings Point to a Soft Landing
  • Retail Sales Data Takeaways
  • Debt Ceiling Barometer: 1-Month T-Bill Yield Steadies

Stock futures are rebounding modestly from yesterday’s declines this morning as traders await more clarity on the debt ceiling negotiations (1-Month yield is down 2 bp to 5.56%) and digest in-line European inflation data.

Economically, Eurozone HICP (their CPI equivalent) met estimates at 7.0% y/y with the Narrow Core reading falling 0.1% to 5.6%, also as expected but still well above target.

There is just one economic report this morning: Housing Starts & Permits (E: 1.405M, 1.430M) and no Fed officials are scheduled to speak.

Retailer earnings continue this morning with TGT ($1.74) reporting ahead of the bell and investors will be looking for more signs of “soft landing” spending trends as we saw with HD yesterday.

As far as other potential catalysts go, there is a 20-Yr. Treasury Bond auction at 1:00 p.m. ET today and any big move in yields could impact stocks (too weak would indicate inflation worries, too strong would underscore growing debt ceiling fears).