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History suggests the answer is probably no

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History suggests the answer is probably no: Tom Essaye Quoted in MarketWatch

This major Treasury market shift could signal serious pain ahead for stocks

History suggests the answer is probably no. More often, the reversal of a yield-curve inversion has signaled that the wheels are about to come off the economy and the stock market with it, according to Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader and founder of Sevens Report Research.

Since 1998, the spread between the 2-year and 10-year Treasury yields has inverted six times, including this latest episode, which began in July 2022. The others started in June 1998, February 2000, January 2006, June 2006 and August 2019. Only three of these episodes, including the current one, saw the yield curve remain inverted for a substantial amount of time. The others began in February 2000 and June 2006.

In both cases, the un-inversion of the yield curve preceded a turbulent stretch for stocks. When the 2s10s spread returned to positive territory on Dec. 29, 2000, the S&P 500 was trading at around 1,320. The S&P 500 declined for the next 22 months, bottoming out around 785 in October 2002, Essaye said.

According to Essaye, the logic behind why such a shift in the yield curve doesn’t bode well for the economy is fairly straightforward.

“When [2s10s] turns back positive, it’s usually because the 2-year Treasury yield is falling quickly as investors price in aggressive rate cuts. Rate cuts usually occur because the Fed is worried about economic growth,” Essaye said. “That’s happening right now, as the market prices in 100% chances for a September and December rate cuts and a growing chance for a third cut this year.”

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article published on July 17th, 2024. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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Economic growth must remain resilient and we cannot have a growth scare

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Economic growth must remain resilient and we cannot have a growth scare: Tom Essaye Quoted in MarketWatch

Stock market’s long-awaited Great Rotation needs to overcome this nagging worry

For the rotation to be sustained beyond a few weeks, “economic growth must remain resilient and we cannot have a growth scare,” said Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research, in a Friday note. “If we do get a growth scare, then cyclical sectors like energy, industrials, materials and financials will likely not do well.”

Investors can act accordingly.

Those that think growth will slow should overweight super-cap tech TDIV and defensive sectors like utilities XLU, healthcare XLV and consumer staples XLP, Essaye wrote. Those that think growth will be resilient should overweight value stocks VTV and the equal-weight S&P 500 RSP.

For his part, Essaye said he’s more concerned about growth than the
consensus, so he won’t be chasing value and cyclical stocks, instead sticking to his preference for defensive sectors and longer term Treasurys that will benefit from a sustained fall in yields alongside moderating growth.

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article published on July 13th, 2024. 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 Fed needs a few more ‘good’ reports on inflation

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The Fed needs a few more ‘good’ reports on inflation: Tom Essaye Quoted in MarketWatch

Here’s what it would take for June CPI reading to send stocks lower

“Stepping back, the Fed needs a few more ‘good’ reports on inflation to cut rates in September. This can be one of those needed ‘good’ reports and keep the rally rolling (although it won’t be a new, positive catalyst as markets already assume ongoing disinflation),” said Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research, in a note.

On the other hand, if the CPI report delivers a higher-than-expected number, particularly for the core, “then a quick, sharp drop in stocks shouldn’t be surprising, because again it’s widely expected and priced into stocks that 1) Inflation is falling and 2) The Fed will cut in September,” he wrote.

A “bad” CPI report would see a core reading at 3.4% year over year with a headline figure of 3.2% to 3.3%, Essaye said, likely sparking a modestly negative reaction. An “ugly” report, with a core reading of more than 3.4% year over year and a headline figure higher than 3.3%, would likely spark a major selloff because it would challenge expectations for disinflation and a September cut, he said.

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article published on July 11th, 2024. 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.

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Market Multiple Table: An Important Change

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Market Multiple Table: An Important Change: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Market Multiple Table: An Important Change

Stock futures are trading higher this morning with tech stocks continuing to outperform as traders look ahead to Fed Chair Powell’s Congressional testimony today.

Economically, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 1 point to 91.5 vs. (E) 90.3 in June.

There are no additional economic reports today which will leave trader focus on Fed Chair Powell’s semi-annual testimony before Congress beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET. There are two additional Fed speakers as well today: Barr (9:15 a.m. ET) and Bowman (1:30 p.m. ET).

The only other potential catalyst on the calendar is a 3-Yr Treasury Note auction at 1:00 p.m. ET. Weak demand and subsequently rising yields after the auction could weigh on stocks as money flows have been very dovish in recent weeks.

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Why Is NVDA Falling? (And Is It A Problem for the Market?)

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Hard Landing vs. Soft Landing Scoreboard: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Is NVDA Falling? (And Is It A Problem for the Market?)
  • EIA Update and Oil Market Analysis

Futures are slightly lower following several underwhelming earnings reports and ahead of important economic data.

Micron (MU) and Levi-Strauss (LEVI) missed earnings and are declining solidly pre-market and those disappointing results are weighing on futures.

Economically, it was a quiet night and none of the reports are moving markets.

Today focus will be on economic data and the key reports, in order of importance, are as follows: Jobless Claims (E: 236K), Durable Goods Orders (E: 0.0%), Final Q1 GDP (E: 1.4%) and Pending Home Sales (E: 1.9%).  Given some cautious commentary on the economy from corporate management (including this morning), markets will want to see solid data that meets or slightly exceeds expectations and if that’s the case, the broad markets should be able to rally (even despite some tech headwinds from MU).

Additionally, today is the first (and potentially only) Presidential Debate (9:00 p.m. ET) and the closer look at the two candidates’ policies could move markets on Friday.

Sevens Report Q2 ’24 Quarterly Letter Coming July 1st. 

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We will deliver the letter on the 1st business day of the new quarter because we want you to be able to send your quarterly letter before your competition (and with little to no work from you).

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Does the Bullish Mantra Still Work?

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Does the Bullish Mantra Still Work? Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Does the Bullish Mantra Still Work?
  • Weekly Market Preview:  Upward Momentum Still in Control
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  Friday’s Core PCE Price Index Is the Key Report This Week

Futures are little changed following a mostly quiet weekend of news.

Economically, the only notable report overnight was the German IFO Business Expectations and that slightly missed estimates (89.0 vs. 90.4).

Political risks in France eased over the weekend as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party, which still leads in the polls, committed to fiscal restraint and pro-business policies.

This week contains some important updates on growth and inflation, but it starts quietly as there are no notable economic reports today and just one Fed speaker,  Daly (2:00 p.m. ET), and she shouldn’t move markets.

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I expect the rest of the week to be very quiet

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I expect the rest of the week to be very quiet: Sevens Report Editor, Tom Essaye, Quoted in Barron’s

S&P 500, Nasdaq Hit New Records

“It essentially will kind of kill the week, to be honest, because anybody that can take Thursday and Friday off just got basically almost a week off,” Sevens Report Research’s Tom Essaye told Barron’s. “There will be plenty of people who will do that. So I expect the rest of the week to be very quiet.”

A wave of Federal Reserve speakers did little to shift the market. Investors know that interest rate cuts will depend on the data in the coming months. Essaye says it will take a surprise from economic data such as jobless claims to wake up the market this week.

“There’s really quite a confluence of data that’s starting to point to some labor market easing. In everyone’s concern that the economy is going to slow, that’s been the missing piece,” Essaye says.

Also, click here to view the full Barron’s article published on June 19th, 2024. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

It’ll be Very Hard for This Market to RallyIf 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.

Oil has recovered from its early June pullback to test seven-week highs

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Oil has recovered from its early June pullback to test seven-week highs: Sevens Report Co-Editor, Tyler Richey, Quoted in Morningstar

Oil prices settle at highest since April on brighter demand prospects

Oil has recovered from its early June pullback to test seven-week highs on “price-supportive rhetoric” from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, said Tyler Richey, co-editor at Sevens Report Research.

The initial “knee-jerk selloff” reaction to the June 2 decision by OPEC+ to phase out voluntary oil-production cuts after the third quarter was “largely reversed and seen as overdone,” Richey told MarketWatch. OPEC+ leadership “confirmed that they will remain flexible and only reduce their voluntary output cuts if market conditions warranted, and clarified increasing production is not necessarily a base-case expectation right now,” he said.

“Evidence of strong domestic demand at the start of the U.S. summer driving season, rising geopolitical tensions overseas and renewed hopes for a perfectly executed [economic] soft landing” by the Federal Reserve have also contributed to oil’s price rebound, Richey said.

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article published on Morningstar on June 18th, 2024. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

Oil Inventories

Lastly, 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.

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These are all contributing to the recent rebound in the oil market

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These are all contributing to the recent rebound in the oil market: Tyler Richey Quoted in MarketWatch

Oil futures end higher as demand prospects improve

“Price-supportive OPEC+ rhetoric, evidence of strong domestic demand at the start of the U.S. summer driving season, rising geopolitical tensions overseas, and renewed hopes for a perfectly executed soft landing by the [Federal Reserve] are all contributing to the recent rebound in the oil market,” said Tyler Richey, co-editor at Sevens Report Research.

“Sentiment is fragile, however, and if we see any headlines that contradict any of those factors that have supported the latest rally, or even just an uptick in broad market volatility into the end of the quarter, we could see oil markets correct back towards the mid-$70-a-barrel range,” he told MarketWatch.

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article published on June 18th, 2024. 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.

Investor hopes around “immaculate disinflation” may be coming undone

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Investor hopes around “immaculate disinflation” may be coming undone: Tom Essaye Quoted in MarketWatch

Are stock-market investors losing faith in ‘immaculate disinflation’?

That’s a sign that investor hopes around “immaculate disinflation” may be coming undone, said Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research, in a Monday note.

While the S&P 500 rallied 1.58% last week, the small-cap Russell 2000 fell 1.25%, the Dow industrials lost 0.54% and RSP (S&P 500 equal weight) declined 0.53%. “The reason the ‘rest’ of the market declined last week was that while disinflation is occurring, it may not be ‘immaculate’ and that’s a potential negative for stocks.,” he wrote.

“Here’s the point: If inflation falls because growth is slowing, that’s not an automatic positive for stocks anymore and we saw that this past week as sectors and stocks that weren’t attached to AI declined, despite the drop in CPI and rising Fed cut expectations,” he wrote.

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article published on June 17th, 2024. 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.