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The Four Key Influences on this Market

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • The Four Key Influences on this Market (and How to Easily Monitor Them)
  • EIA Analysis and Oil Update

Futures are modestly lower this morning as the market digests several disappointing earnings releases (notably CSX and NFLX) while U.S.-China trade concerns linger after multiple negative news articles were released overnight.

Economically, U.K. Retail Sales beat (1.0% vs. E: -0.3%), which is helping the pound recover from fresh 2019 lows.

News flow will remain steady today with two economic reports to watch: Jobless Claims (E: 215K) and Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey (E: 4.5) while there is one Fed official scheduled to speak: Williams (2:15 p.m. ET).

Over the last 24-36 hours, earnings became a more significant driver of the broader stock market so today’s corporate results will be important to watch. Before the bell UNH ($3.46), MS ($1.13), HON ($2.08), and UNP ($2.12) all release results and MSFT ($1.21), and COF ($2.84) will report after the bell.

Economic Breaker Panel: July Update

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Economic Breaker Panel – July Update

Futures are trading modestly higher this morning as investors digest the mixed set of corporate earnings releases so far this week after an otherwise quiet night of macro news.

Eurozone inflation was 1.3% vs. (E) 1.2% year/year in June, but the slightly firmer than expected print was not enough to alter the outlook for ECB policy (the euro is flat).

Today, there is one economic report to watch: Housing Starts (E: 1.260M) and one Fed official scheduled to speak: George (12:30 ET).

With news-flow considerably slower today than yesterday, investor focus will remain on earnings as the reporting season continues to pick up.

Notable releases today include: BAC ($0.70), PNC ($2.83), USB ($1.07), BK ($0.94) before the open, and NFLX ($0.56), IBM ($3.06), EBAY ($0.62), AA (-$0.34), KMI ($0.23) after the close.

How Much Is Too Much?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • How Much Is Too Much?
  • Weekly Economic Outlook

S&P futures are modestly higher this morning while overseas markets were little changed overnight as mixed economic data was digested ahead of a busy week of earnings.

Chinese GDP slowing to 6.2% vs. (E) 6.3% initially caught investors’ attention but Fixed Asset Investment, Industrial Production, and Retail Sales all solidly beat expectations, helping Chinese shares recover 1.5%+ to close with a modest gain.

Looking into today’s session, there is one economic report to watch: Empire State Manufacturing Survey (E: 0.5) and one Fed official is scheduled to speak: Williams (8:50 a.m. ET).

Meanwhile, market focus is shifting to earnings as the Q2 reporting season gets underway this week. Today, there are just two notable reports with C (E: $1.78) ahead of the bell and JBHT (E: -$0.08) after the close.

Finding Attractive Risk/Reward in This Market

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Powell Was Dovish
  • Where Can We Find Attractive Risk/Reward?  Emerging Market Bonds
  • Energy Outlook (Slightly Positive)

Futures are marginally higher thanks to continued momentum from yesterday’s dovish rally.

Economic data was sparse overnight as the only notable number was German CPI, which met expectations at 1.6% yoy.

Today will be a busy day.  First, we get the 2nd half of Powell’s testimony in front of the Senate Banking Committee at 10:00 a.m. ET, but that shouldn’t yield any surprises as it’s mostly a repeat of yesterday.

The ECB Minutes will be released at 7:30 a.m. ET and if they hint at a re-start of QE (which they probably will) then we might see an extensions of this “dovish” rally.

On the data front, CPI (E: 0.0%) and Jobless Claims (E: 216K) both get released later this morning but given the flood of dovishness inundating markets right now from global central banks, it’d take a very strong CPI and very high jobless claims to hit stocks.

Finally, there are multiple Fed speakers today besides Powell, but they are all generally overshadowed by the comments yesterday so the market should largely ignore their speeches.  Today’s roster includes: Williams (11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m. ET), Quarles (1:30 p.m. ET), Kashkari (5:00 p.m. ET).

Powell Preview

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Powell Testimony Preview
  • “This Week’s Sign the Apocalypse is Upon Us”
  • NFIB Small Business Optimism Index Analysis

Futures are lower with most international markets as investors look ahead to Powell’s testimony while another EU company, PageGroup, issued a profit warning overnight.

Economically, Chinese June CPI was inline but PPI dropped from 0.6% to 0.0% vs. (E) 0.2% which rekindled deflationary concerns and underscored pressures on the Chinese manufacturing sector.

Today, there are no economic reports but even if there were, focus would be primarily on the Fed anyway.

Powell’s Testimony before Congress is clearly the main event as investors look for further clues on the future of monetary policy. His written comments are due out at 8:30 a.m. ET before he begins to speak at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Bullard also speaks at 1:30 p.m. ET today and the June FOMC Meeting Minutes will hit the wires at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Lastly, there is a 10 Year T-Note Auction at 1:00 p.m. ET and depending on the results (demand metrics and yields) a reactive move in the bond market could influence stock trading in the midst of all the Fed events.

Jobs Day

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Collapsing Bond Yields Are Boosting Stocks (For Now)
  • Oil Market Update/EIA Analysis

Futures are marginally lower as markets digest Wednesday’s new highs ahead of the jobs report.

Trading Thursday was quiet globally as there was no notable news, and most foreign indices were little changed.

Economic data continued to disappoint, as German Factory Orders became the latest manufacturing reading to badly miss estimates (-2.2% vs. (E) 0.2%).

Today focus will be on the Employment Situation Report and estimates are as follows: Jobs (E): 165k, Unemployment Rate (E): 3.6%, Wages (E): 3.2%.  As we saw on Wednesday (and really all week) slightly disappointing or better than expected data will likely result in the S&P 500 trading above 3000, while a very strong or very weak number will likely hit stocks.

For now, markets are convinced collapsing global bond yields are just reflective of impending dovish central bank policies, and until data gets bad enough to cause worries about the economy, those lower yields will be a short term tailwind on stocks (but longer term problem, according to history).

Tom Essaye Quoted in Seeking Alpha on June 12, 2019

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Tom Essaye quoted in Seeking Alpha. Analysts are also starting to reassess the June market comeback, with some saying it doesn’t quite make sense. “This rally is not fundamentally backed. Instead what we are seeing is a…” Click here to read the full article.

Tom Essaye Headshot

Market Scenario Update (Good/Bad/Ugly)

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • How Good Was Last Week? (Good/Bad/Ugly Scenario Update)

It is a risk-on morning with U.S. stock futures tracking international equity markets higher after China announced a new wave of stimulus measures overnight.

The PBOC explained that the program would support infrastructure investment through special bond issuance which helped mainland China shares rally 2.6% on the session.

Economically, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index was 105.0 vs. (E) 102.0. in May despite the elevated trade tensions, which helped S&P futures extend pre-market gains during the last hour.

Today, the calendar is relatively quiet although there is one inflation figure due out ahead of the open: PPI (E: 0.1%) and even though it is a lesser followed report, a “hot” print could still cause an uptick in volatility after the melt up we have seen over the last week.

There are no Fed officials scheduled to speak today which will leave investors looking for any further updates on the trade war, but even though the market is near-term overbought, no news is good news as sentiment is very positive and momentum alone could help stocks continue higher today.

Bull Steepening (Not Necessarily Good for Stocks)

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • The Yield Curve Is Steepening, That’s Good for Stocks Right? (Not Necessarily)

Futures are moving higher on dovish optimism following soft economic data overseas ahead of today’s jobs report but trade war developments were actually negative overnight.

German data disappointed overnight as Industrial Production fell -1.9% vs. (E) -0.5% while the trade surplus narrowed to 17.0B euros, a 9-month low.

The data is fueling hopes of a dovish policy shift from the ECB, however, after Draghi cited soft manufacturing trends as a concern earlier in the week which is helping EU shares outperform this morning.

Trade news was a net negative overnight as Mexican tariffs are still expected to be implemented on Monday (hopes of a delay pushed stocks higher yesterday afternoon) while there were no material developments on the China front.

Today, investors will be primarily focused on the Employment Situation Report due out at 8:30 a.m. ET (E: +180K job adds, 3.7% UR, 3.2% wage growth YoY).

Due to the huge dovish shift in Fed policy expectations over the last week, bad news will be good news for stocks as the odds of a summer rate cut will rise and the biggest risk for stocks is a “hot” print this morning, especially on wages.

Is the “Fed Put” Back?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Is the “Fed Put” Back?

Futures are higher as Tuesday’s “squeezy” rally carried over into international markets overnight thanks to the dovish Fed rhetoric over the last 24 hours and a handful of incremental positive macro developments.

Mnuchin will meet with Chinese officials this weekend and there is growing support by Republican Senators to block Mexican tariffs, both of which are trade war positives.

Economic data overnight was mixed but “goldilocks” as EU composite PMIs were largely better than feared, Eurozone Retail Sales were in line with expectations, while inflation statistics came in light.

Today, focus will be on economic data early with the ADP Employment Report (E: 175K) due out ahead of the bell while the ISM Non-Manufacturing Index (E: 55.8) will print shortly after the open.

There is also one Fed speaker: Bostic (9:45 a.m. ET) and if the general tone remains dovish, this week’s short-squeeze in stocks can continue with the S&P approaching the 2850 area.

However, because the macro backdrop has not materially improved so far this week (again the developments have just been “less bad”), it is unlikely at this point that the move is the beginning of a sustainable, longer term rally.