Has the Outlook for China Finally Turned Positive?
What’s in Today’s Report:
- Has the Outlook for China Finally Turned Positive?
- Chart – FXI (China) vs. S&P 500 Divergence
- Empire State Manufacturing Survey Takeaways
Stock futures were volatile o/n as the BOJ doubled down on their bond-buying program, sending the yen lower by nearly 3% but markets have stabilized as focus turns to a busy morning of economic data and more earnings in the U.S.
Economically, Eurozone HICP met estimates at 9.2% y/y and the Narrow Core also met estimates at 5.2% y/y.
Looking into today’s session, focus will be on earnings in the pre-market with SCHW ($1.10) and PNC ($3.95) due to release earnings ahead of the bell while DFS ($3.58) will report after the close.
There is also a slew of economic data due out this morning including: Retail Sales (E: -0.8%), PPI (E: -0.1%, 6.8%), Industrial Production (E: -0.1%), and the Housing Market Index (E: 31). The market wants to see data continue to point to slowing, but not collapsing growth (as we saw with the Empire report yesterday) and a continued deceleration in inflation metrics to maintain bets for a soft landing.
As far as other catalysts go, there are two Fed speakers to watch this morning: Bostic (9:00 a.m. ET) and Bullard (9:30 a.m. ET) and then a 20-Yr Treasury Bond auction at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Bottom line, much of the recent rally has been based on hopes for a soft landing and less hawkish pivot by the Fed and anything that contradicts those two possibilities would likely trigger a wave of volatility today.