Oil futures finished with a loss on Monday, with traders weighing the prospects for energy demand. A “shockingly strong” Empire State Manufacturing Index reading Monday helped to live the odds of an interest-rate hike by the Federal Reserve in May, said Tyler Richey, co-editor at Sevens Report Research. Click here to read the full article.
What’s in Today’s Report:
Stock futures are higher this morning as Chinese economic data was mostly better than expected while investors await more big bank earnings today.
Economically, Chinese Retail Sales jumped 10.6% y/y vs. (E) 7.0% in March which helped Q1 GDP to rise 4.5% y/y vs. (E) 3.9%. Other metrics including Fixed Asset Investment and Industrial Production were less encouraging, but the strong consumer data was well received by investors overnight.
Meanwhile U.K. wage growth rose 5.9% vs. (E) 5.1% in March which adds some pressure to the BoE to remain aggressive as there is clearly more work to do to get inflation under control.
Looking into today’s session, focus will be on earnings early with BAC ($0.79), GS ($8.14), JNJ ($2.51), and BK ($1.09) reporting quarterly results before the open while NFLX ($2.81) and UAL (-$0.73) report after the close.
After the open, investors will be watching for the only notable economic release today: Housing Starts and Permits (E: 1.400 million, 1.431 million) before there is a 52-Week Treasury Bill auction at 11:30 a.m. ET which may offer some fresh insight into market expectations for Fed policy over the next year.
Finally, the Fed’s Bowman speaks at 1:00 p.m. ET and investors will be looking any further clues about May rate hike plans and longer term policy outlook.
“The expectation that consumer demand will firm markedly in China as the economy continues to recover from the impact of strict economic lockdowns is another supporting factor for oil markets this week,” said Richey. Click here to read the full article.
What was interesting about Wednesday’s rally was that the U.S. petroleum inventory data, which were largely bearish, were “ignored and traders instead bid up the market on the easing headline CPI figure. To me, that suggests the market has largely priced in the OPEC+ production cut planned for next month and is again focused on the demand outlook, as the cooling price pressures bolstered hopes a hard economic landing can be avoided,” Tyler Richey, co-editor at Sevens Report Research, told MarketWatch. Click here to read the full article.
What’s in Today’s Report:
Futures are slightly lower on digestion of Thursday’s rally and as markets await bank earnings this morning.
Fed balance sheet news overnight was mixed, as total usage of the Discount Window and BTFP dropped to $139 bln from $149 bln, but that’s still very elevated and it underscores there’s still stress in the regional banks.
Focus today will be on economic data and earnings, and the key here remains stability in both sets of reports (so no major disappointments). Important economic reports today include, in order of importance, Retail Sales (E: -0.4%), Industrial Production (E: 0.3%) and Consumer Sentiment (E: 62.7).
Earnings season starts today and key reports we’re watching include: JPM ($3.41), C ($1.66), WFC ($1.15), PNC ($3.60), BLK ($7.73), UNH ($6.24).
Finally, there’s one Fed speaker, Waller at 8:45 a.m. ET but he shouldn’t move markets (the Fed message is very consistent right now).
What’s in Today’s Report:
Futures are slightly higher following better than expected economic data.
Chinese exports handily beat expectations in March rising 14.8% vs. (E) -7.0%, in what is the latest signal that the global economy remains resilient.
On inflation, German CPI met expectations rising 0.8% m/m and 7.4% y/y, numbers that are still too high in aggregate, but won’t make the ECB incrementally hawkish.
Today focus will remain on inflation and the labor market via PPI (E: 0.0% m/m, 3.0% y/y), Core PPI (E: 0.3% m/m, 3.4% y/y) and Jobless Claims (E: 233k). PPI is expected to show moderation and importantly PPI is viewed as a quasi-leading indicator to CPI, so if numbers come in under expectations that’ll increase hopes inflation is truly easing. For jobless claims, the higher the better as it implies normalization in the labor market, something the Fed wants to see before it can pause.
What’s in Today’s Report:
Stock futures are rising in sympathy with overseas markets on the back of dovish commentary by new BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda and favorable economic data overnight that is easing “hard landing” worries.
Economically, Chinese CPI rose just 0.7% vs. (E) 1.1% and PPI dropped -2.5% vs. (E) -2.3% while Eurozone Retail Sales fell -3.0% vs. (E) -3.5%. In the U.S., the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index came in at 90.1 vs. (E) 89.0. The mostly better than expected data is helping rekindle hopes that a soft landing may be achieved.
There are no other notable economic reports today which will leave focus on a 10-Yr Treasury Note auction at 1:00 p.m. ET and the sole Fed speaker today: Goolsbee (1:30 p.m. ET) as traders are largely looking ahead to tomorrow’s CPI report.
“Bottom line, the fundamental dynamics of the oil market changed this week with OPEC+’s announced production cut, which they said was geared towards regaining control of the markets and spooking speculators out of the market,” said analysts at Sevens Report Research, in a Thursday note. Click here to read the full article.
What’s in Today’s Report:
Futures are little changed following a mostly quiet night of news as markets digest this week’s underwhelming economic data ahead of the jobs report and long weekend.
Economic data overnight was better than expected as the Chinese Composite PMI beat estimates (57.8 vs. (E) 55.0) as did German Industrial Production (2.0% vs. (E) 0.0%).
Regional banks remained stable overnight following WAL’s update on deposit statistics yesterday.
Today focus will be on Jobless Claims (E: 201K) and a speech by Fed president Bullard (10:00 a.m. ET). Investors will want to see claims move higher, above 200k, to signal some moderation in the labor market, while we can expect Bullard to be hawkish, although keep in mind he does not represent the consensus at the FOMC (and as such his comments shouldn’t move markets, unless they’re a dovish surprise).
The surprise announcement also suggests OPEC+ may be getting more cautious about its outlook for global oil demand given the elevated threat of a potentially deep recession looming, says Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research. Click here to read the full article.
